Come What May
by LadyVisionary
Summary: The Out of the Blue series part 4. Buffy and Remus return to the wizarding world to protect Harry Potter from Sirius Black. Sirius has somehow managed to escape prison, out for revenge...but so is Buffy and Remus...
1. Come what may

**Come What May**

Chapter 1 – Come what may.

DISCLAIMER: Buffy the Vampire Slayer belongs to Joss Whedon, and Harry Potter to J.K. Rowling. I don't own anything...

RATING: PG-13 (T) to R (M) - violence, language, angst, horror, possible mild sexual interactions, etc. If you can watch BTVS/AtS and read HP, I doubt you'll have any problem with this story.

TIMELINE: AU. Part 4 in the OOTB-series. Takes place during the Prisoner of Azkaban, the Goblet of Fire and includes missing moments from the Order of the Phoenix. It begins at Hogwarts, wizarding time, and then as it switches to Sunnydale time, we jump to where the epilogue to "Never the Same" (Part 3) left off.

SUMMARY: BTVS/HP crossover. When Dumbledore arrives at Buffy's and Remus' doorstep, they are both very surprised, but agree to come back with him to the wizarding world and protect Harry Potter from Sirius Black, the man responsible for the murders of Peter Pettigrew and Harry's parents. Sirius has somehow managed to escape prison, out for revenge...but so is Buffy and Remus. How will all this mess end?

PAIRING: Buffy/Remus

**Special Thanks to:** **My Beta -** CharmedChick

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**A/N:**** Well, since this is part four of the Out of the Blue series, you may want to read the first three before this if you haven't already - otherwise some things may seem confusing. But if you'd like, you can skip patr three: NTS doesn't really add anything important to the storyline that you can't find out through the other parts. **

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**Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, August 30, 1993.**

"So who have you found as a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher this year, Albus?" Minerva McGonagall, deputy Headmistress and Transfigurations professor, asked, from where she was sitting in front of the Headmaster's desk. Dumbledore had informed the staff of every change Hogwarts would go through this year, due to the escape of Sirius Black last night, and, McGonagall assumed he had told them of the new teacher's identity at the same time.

She herself had not been there, due to an emergency call by floo from her sister, who was in need of her assistance. Apparently, her husband had somehow managed to transform himself into half a slug, and they were both too embarrassed to call the Ministry's emergency reversal squad. McGonagall suspected it had to do with a botched attempt at an animagus transformation.

"I surely hope you have found someone competent this year, and not another fraud like Lockhart? The students are falling awfully behind - I am afraid they will have a lot to catch up with this year."

Dumbledore chuckled.

"I can promise you, you will not be able to find anything wrong with my choice."

"Well, then, who is it?" McGonagall asked briskly.

"I was seriously considering not telling you - I have told no one except Severus, because he needed to know - the others will find out at the feast - but I think since you are the Deputy Headmistress, you should."

'And I want to have your reaction for myself', Dumbledore added silently to himself.

"Just out with it, Albus," McGonagall said irritably. "Surely this person cannot be so special?"

"Oh, yes, but he is, Minerva," Dumbledore said with a chuckle. "You cannot deny Remus Lupin is, if anything, special."

McGonagall's jaw hit the floor, and she started to splutter.

"What? Albus? How? When?"

Dumbledore chuckled again.

"I have actually not asked him yet - I am going over to his place tonight."

"His place?" Minerva asked, after she had gotten over her shock. "His place...where is that exactly? Where has he been all these years? Not even Poppy has gotten any sign of life from him - no one has - not since...James and Lily's burial," she finished tiredly. The death of her two favorite students still weighed heavily on her mind. She knew many victims in the war, but none had affected her so as the deaths of the two Potters.

"I am afraid that is a big secret," Dumbledore said promptly.

"We were almost sure he was...gone, also. After everything that happened...it must have been so hard for him...we - Poppy and I - were sure the pain would have killed him."

"And maybe it would have," Dumbledore said. "But he is in good hands, I am sure," he said, with that annoying twinkle Minerva hated. It was so frustrating to watch, not knowing what was going on in his head! It was like he was teasing her, silently repeating 'I know something you don't know' over and over again in his mind.

"Anyway, he will be here at September first, with the rest of the students, if he accepts, which I'm sure he will. I am also expecting him to bring company."

"Company?" McGonagall asked incredulously. "Company? Who in the world would that be?"

"I am sure you remember a certain girl that showed up here in Remus' seventh year, and joined the Order with he and his friends," Dumbledore said, amusement written on his face. "Buffy Summers."

It looked like McGonagall's eyes would fall out of her sockets, and for a while, Dumbledore was afraid she would faint. However amusing that would be, it wouldn't be something he wanted to explain to Poppy. If it was anything the great Albus Dumbledore was afraid of, it was angry women. They were vicious, and Dumbledore made sure to avoid them...that didn't mean he didn't like teasing them, oh, no. He just didn't like the consequences...

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, McGonagall spoke, her voice strangely weak.

"Buffy? Buffy Summers? The Slayer? Remus Lupin's girlfriend at Hogwarts? They are still together?"

"I would expect so," Dumbledore said. He was one of the few who knew what being mated to a werewolf actually meant, and therefore was sure neither of them would have left the other. It meant deep, unbreakable love on a level no one could even imagine - of course, this would only work if the mated were truly in love and meant to be, which Dumbledore knew the case had been - and still was - with Buffy and Remus. Lily and James' love could be compared, but only in the human sense.

"She's coming with him?" McGonagall added, after another long pause.

"Yes."

"Merlin help us all," McGonagall finally said, falling back in her seat.

Dumbledore chuckled.

"She wasn't so bad. In the end, I seem to remember you even liking her."

McGonagall gave him a tired glare.

"That might be - I certainly respected her on the battle field - but in school? Educating students? I fear for what she will teach them."

"I am sure it will be nothing too disastrous," Dumbledore said, putting emphasis on 'too' - he so enjoyed seeing Minerva sweat.

McGonagall was indeed sweating, as she imagined all the horrible things that could happen in a classroom when Buffy Summers was the professor...

"Welcome students!" Buffy said, from where she was sitting on the desk, dangling with her feet, and letting a pink chewing gum make small pops as she kept blowing it up.

"I will be taking over for professor Lupin, my boyfriend (girlish giggle) today, as he is a little bit ill. (Bright smile) Sometimes, I tire him out - but that is something I will not talk to you about today - sexual education is for another time! (Bright blushing students) Now, (she jumped down from her desk) I know your experiences with this subject aren't so great and while my boyfriend (another giggle) is going to teach you the boring stuff, I am going to teach you the fun!"

The students only gawked at the professor. Some of the boys drooled, while the girls were either whispering or giggling, while some were still blushing. Only one looked disapproving.

"Yes, miss...?"

"Granger, professor," Hermione said, as she took down her hand.

"Alright - Grangy. What can I do for ya?"

The student's snickered while Hermione narrowed her eyes.

"Aren't you planning to teach as anything important?"

Buffy looked highly offended.

"Of course I am! I am going to teach you the things every student needs to know - to have fun in life."

Hermione opened mouth as to speak again, but Buffy gave her a glare, making her close her mouth.

"Five points from Slytherin," Buffy said.

"I'm in Gryffindor!" Hermione exclaimed. Buffy smiled brightly.

"I know! But I was a Gryffindor myself, and I like 'em - so when one of you disobey me, I will take points from the other houses instead! That should teach you, doncha think? You don't want to take away from your schoolmates, do ya?"

Apparently, that was what everyone wanted, because all their eyes (except Hermione's) lit up like on Christmas day, but no one said anything, in case the (very stupid, but very pretty) professor would change her mind.

"Now, today, I am going to teach you something you probably never have learned before - to embarrass professor McGonagall."

All the students leaned eagerly forwards in their seats (again, everyone except Hermione).

"When I was in school, I had a friend of mine transfigure her into a turkey, and then I chased her around the classroom! (Student's laughter) And to think, I wasn't even punished for it! She isn't as strict as she pretends to be - she's really a big softie. Something to remember in the future, eh? (A wink) Now, on to other things - I suspect everyone has heard of the game 'Truth or Dare?' (Nods) Now, we are going to spend the remaining lesson playing it, although I will be the only one telling you to do something. If you pick truth, you have to answer a question about your schoolwork - Gringy, you are not allowed to pick truth, by the way."

Buffy conjured up a very strange looking quill.

"This is an invention of mine I call 'the flying pensnitch'. I will wave with my sticky thing, and the pensnitch will fly and point at one of you - be careful - sometimes, it tries to poke an eye out - who gets to pick either truth or dare! Everyone who completes the dare gets - I don't honestly think anyone will pick truth - if they do, I will be severely disappointed, and I will take it as a failure in my education, and will go over to teach the normal curriculum - and none of you want that, right? (Another wink) I didn't ask you Grongy. (Hermione had opened her mouth to protest again) Remember, you are banned from asking truth."

"What will those of us who complete the dare get?" A red-haired boy eagerly asked.

"A bottle of Firewhisky - I expect there to be a big party thrown in the Gryffindor tower tonight! (Student's cheer) Now (wave with her wand), let's begin!"

Everyone watched as the pensnitch flew around, and finally settled on a round, chubby boy.

"Great! We have our first victi - I mean, participant. What's your name?"

"N-Neville."

"All right, Nevvy. What do you pick?"

Neville opened his mouth to answer, when suddenly the pensnitch made a motion forward.

"OOOWWW!" Neville screamed, as the tip buried itself in his eye.

Buffy winced.

"Well, I warned you. Let me help - I'm a healer..."

"NO!" Neville screamed, and ran out of the room towards the hospital wing. Buffy shrugged.

"Well, I'll give him his dare tomorrow.

"...Minerva?" Dumbledore asked kindly. "Are you feeling alright?

McGonagall had gone deathly pale.

"I-I think I need to lay down...prepare myself...for what is to come..." Secretly, she was seriously considering resigning.

"Please, ask Severus to prepare some potions against headache...I doubt the ones Poppy have will be enough..."

Dumbledore chuckled to himself as McGonagall left. Fawkes let out a drill.

"Yes, Fawkes. The time has come to pick up two old friends..."

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****

Sunnydale, late August 30, 2014.

As Buffy, Remus and Dumbledore sat down in the living room, none of them made the first move to speak. The room's three occupants were all staring at each other. Finally, Dumbledore broke the silence.

"Remus. Buffy. I hope you are well?"

"Very well," Remus said, with exaggerated politeness.

The room was once again filled with silence. Finally, Dumbledore spoke up for the second time.

"Buffy told me you got married," he said to Remus.

"Yes, that's right," Remus said stiffly.

"That's very nice. And you have children?"

"Yes," Buffy said defensively. "Is something wrong with that?"

Dumbledore smiled.

"Not at all, not at all. Say, how old are they? Is one of them old enough to start Hogwarts yet?"

"No," Remus said. "Phoebe is only five, and Sarah is nine." He rose an eyebrow.

"Why are you even asking that? It's not like either of them will ever get the chance to go there."

"Well," Dumbledore said slowly. "The reason I am here...I would very much like you both to come back with me - you will have to take both Phoebe and Sarah along with you, of course."

Buffy's head shot up.

"What do you mean, 'come back with you?'"

"Just that," Dumbledore said calmly.

Remus and Buffy only stared at Dumbledore in shock, as Dumbledore watched them both in amusement. Finally, Buffy spoke up.

"Why? I mean, why do you want us to go back? Has something happened? Is Harry...?"

Dumbledore sighed, and Buffy and Remus automatically entwined their hands together.

"It is Harry, isn't it?" Remus asked, his throat suddenly feeling very dry. "What's wrong?"

"It is about Harry, in a way," Dumbledore said slowly. "But he isn't hurt."

Yet, he added silently in his mind.

"So what is it then?" Buffy asked. "What is so serious that you come here, asking us to go back with you, obviously wanting us to help somehow? I don't believe you want us to go back for pure entertainment."

Dumbledore smiled sadly.

"Alas, you are right," he said. "I will tell you the reason I want you back, but before I do, there are some other things that needs to be told."

He took out his wand from his robe, and made a swishing motion, making a bowl of tea, cookies, and lemon-drops appear. Neither Buffy nor Remus made any move to eat it, just sat watching Dumbledore, waiting for him to speak. Dumbledore took up a lemon-drop, and popped it into his mouth. After what felt like an eternity, he spoke.

"After you left, Remus, nothing really happened. I had already left Harry in the Dursley's care..."

At this, both Remus and Buffy scowled, and gave him dark looks, which the Headmaster pretended to ignore.

"...And all over the country, people were still celebrating the boy-who-lived - Harry - and that Voldemort was gone," he continued.

"I knew this was not the case. I knew Voldemort would make a return. I knew that blow had not killed him, only ripped a part of his soul from his body."

"A part of his soul?" Remus asked. "What do you mean 'a part of his soul?'"

"Yeah!" Buffy added. "What about the rest of it?"

"Well," Dumbledore said. "I have a theory - a very complicated one, and I will not relay it to you, as I don't understand it completely myself - but what it all comes down to is that I do not believe Voldemort had enough humanity left inside of him to be killed completely."

"So you mean he was like a demon?" Buffy asked.

Dumbledore chuckled.

"Not exactly. Even though not completely human, he was not completely demon either, as he still had a part of his soul, while demons do not."

"All right, I understand," Remus said, then paused. "I think. What about the rest of his soul then? The part that wasn't ripped from his body...What happened to it?"

"This is were my complicated theory comes in - "

Remus and Buffy started to protest, wanting him to tell them.

" - But it is my belief that the second part of his soul never was in his body in the first place, and therefore, couldn't be destroyed, leaving Voldemort alive, but nothing more than a body-less spirit."

Silence. All this new information was spinning around in Buffy's head, and she saw Remus was thinking deeply.

"You mean that since not his entire soul was in his body when the killing curse bounced back on him, he couldn't die completely...just because his soul still existed...but outside of it?" Remus seemed to wince at this, as he doubted his sanity for even thinking it, but Dumbledore smiled brightly.

"Exactly!" He said. "That is precisely what I think."

"So..." Buffy said slowly. "Let me see if I got this straight - Voldemort had somehow managed to...ehh...get rid of...a part...or parts of his soul at some earlier point, so that when the killing curse hit him, it didn't affect those parts, but only the part which was still in his body, ripping it out, leaving him body-less but still alive."

Dumbledore beamed at Buffy and Remus. Buffy smiled wryly, but Remus spoke up again.

"But how is it possible? How can you get rid of a part - or parts of your soul? That should be impossible. And even if it is possible, it is so wrong - against all laws of nature."

Dumbledore's bright smile faded a little.

"Yes," he said. "But Tom has never cared about right and wrong, possible and impossible, nor does he care about the laws of nature."

"Tom?" Buffy asked questioningly.

"Tom Riddle," Dumbledore explained. He lifted his wand, and formed the words 'TOM MARVOLO RIDDLE' in the air. Then he waved his wand again, and Buffy and Remus watched as the words turned into 'I AM LORD VOLDEMORT'.

Remus and Buffy's eyes widened in realization.

"Voldemort's real name...is Tom? Tom Riddle?" They asked.

"Yes."

It took awhile before Remus spoke again.

"He went to Hogwarts," he stated.

"Yes," Dumbledore said again.

"He received an award for special services to the school," Remus continued.

"Yes."

Suddenly, Buffy snapped her fingers.

"I remember something that...Lily...told us." She gave Remus a quick look. He smiled sadly.

"She said that her score on her potions-NEWT's were the highest since someone called Tom Riddle - that was him?"

"Yes."

"Oh."

The three sat in silence for a while.

"You never really answered my question, Dumbledore," Remus suddenly said. "About how Voldemort - Tom - managed to remove a part of his soul - even though it's supposed to be impossible? And where did this part - or parts - go?"

Dumbledore sighed.

"This is the theory I cannot share with you, but must keep to myself - and I ask you to respect that," he added, as he saw both Remus and Buffy opening their mouths to protest - again.

"Now, moving on. As I said, people thought Voldemort was gone, but I didn't. I knew he was only biding his time, waiting for a way to return to a body. But things were calm...until two years ago. The year young Harry Potter entered Hogwarts."

Remus and Buffy paled.

"What happened?"

"That year, it just so happened a man named Quirenius Quirell entered the same forest in which Voldemort had been hiding for the last ten years, possessing different animals, as he waited for a way to return. Quirell was easily bent to Voldemort's will, as he was young, foolish and gullible, and took Voldemort back to England. There, Voldemort planned to create himself a new body by using the Philosopher's stone, of which you can make the Elixir of life. Quirell, under the influence of Voldemort, broke into Gringotts, planning to steal the stone from the vault it was located in. Unfortunately - or fortunately for us, the vault was empty."

Buffy and Remus listened in rapt attention, as Dumbledore told them how he had removed the stone, hiding it at Hogwarts, as he had a feeling Voldemort would try to use it. He then told them how Voldemort now found it necessary to possess Quirell's body, and with him tried to retrieve the stone at the school - they thought it was an overall easy task, as Dumbledore had hired Quirell as the Defense Against the Dark Art's teacher, not realizing who it was who was hiding beneath Quirell's turban.

They listened as Dumbledore told them how Harry Potter came to hear about the stone, and due to some misunderstandings thought Snape was the one who was after it, when, as a matter of fact, he was trying to protect it.

Here, Buffy snorted.

"Not bloody likely," she muttered, and Remus agreed, but silently.

Dumbledore continued, by telling them how Quirell and Voldemort passed all the obstacles protecting the stone, and how Harry and his two best friends Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger, realized this - although they all thought it was still Snape who was the villain ("can't blame them", Buffy said) - and followed, trying to stop the stone from being stolen. Even they managed to get past the obstacles, by combining speed, bravery, strategy, and logic, although in the end, only Harry was left to face Voldemort, as he had sent Hermione back to contact myself, and Ron had earlier been knocked out by a giant chess piece.

Buffy and Remus listened in horrid fascination of how Harry had managed to stop Voldemort from getting the stone. When Dumbledore was finished, it took a long time before they spoke.

"It still doesn't explain why you are here. It was two years ago...you wouldn't want us come back because of something that happened two years ago," Buffy said quietly. "Even if I wish you had. What happened this year that is so special?"

"I'm coming to that - for now, just listen."

Dumbledore then proceeded to tell them about Harry's second year, with the diary, possessed by a memory of a sixteen year old Tom Riddle - or possibly a part of Voldemort's soul (although this was something Dumbledore left out), about Harry finding out he was a Parseltongue, about the Chamber of Secrets, about how people believed Harry was the Heir of Slytherin, about something petrifying students (and cats) in the school, how Hermione figured out it was a Basilisk, just before she herself got petrified, and finally, how Ginny Weasley, Ron's younger sister, was dragged into the Chamber, and how Harry managed to save her, killing the Basilisk, and almost dying in the process.

When he was done, Remus and Buffy were both pale as ghosts.

"And," Remus croaked. "And you still didn't think all this were reason to contact us, or return?"

"No," Dumbledore said. "I am afraid not, as everything worked out for the best, and Harry didn't seem to suffer from it - "

"SUFFER?" Buffy screamed, standing up, as Remus' face whitened with rage. "You don't call what you just told us suffering? Then what, exactly, Dumbledore, are you calling suffering? HE ALMOST DIED FOR MERLIN'S SAKE!"

"But he didn't," Dumbldore said calmly. "And I think, if anything, it made him stronger."

Remus spoke up.

"Made him stronger? Possibly. But what Harry has gone through is something no child should have too." His voice was laced with icy cold.

"But he did. Now, for the real reason I am here..."

"What could possibly be worse than what you have already told us?" Buffy said, her voice just as cold as Remus.

"This," Dumbledore said, and waved with his wand, making a paper, the Daily Prophet, appear in front of Buffy and Remus. They both went deathly pale, as they read what it said.

'BLACK STILL AT LARGE

Sirius Black, possibly the most infamous prisoner ever to be held in Azkaban fortress,  
is still eluding capture, the Ministry of Magic confirmed today.  
_"We are doing all we can to recapture Black," said the Minister of Magic,  
Cornelius Fudge, this morning, "and we beg the magical community to remain calm."_  
_Fudge has been criticized by some members of the International Federation of Warlocks  
for informing the Muggle Prime Minister of the crisis._  
_"Well, really, I had to, don't you know," said an irritable Fudge.  
"Black is mad. He's a danger to anyone who crosses him, magic or Muggle.  
I have the Prime Minister's assurance that he will not breathe a word of  
Black's true identity to anyone. And let's face it-who'd believe him if he did?"  
While Muggles have been told that Black is carrying a gun  
(a kind of metal wand that Muggles use to kill each other),  
the magical community lives in fear of a massacre like that of twelve years ago,  
when Black murdered thirteen people with a single curse.'  
_

The silence was deafening.

"He's escaped?" Remus finally asked, his voice strangely quiet.

"Yes," Dumbledore said gravely. "And that is the reason I want you to come back, as I believe he is out after harming Harry."

Buffy said nothing, but was only staring at the picture of Sirius portrayed in the Daily Prophet. The once so charming and good-looking wizard, the person who had been one of Buffy's closest friends while in Remus' world, didn't look even a little healthy or handsome anymore, with his shadowed eyes, waxy skin and sunken face. He looked almost...dead.

She couldn't believe how the marauders had been broken...

Four dead, one traitor and a murderer, who ended up in Azkaban...now escaped, wanting to hurt his own Godson, and two left alone, trying to move on, even with their painful memories still freshly printed in their mind... She could see it like it was yesterday. The marauders, laughing together, feeling like nothing could hurt them - and then, in the next second, the end of it all...

"I'll come," Buffy said without hesitation. "I am his Godmother after all...I will help protect Harry at all costs..."

"Me too," Remus said, his voice more dangerous than Buffy had ever heard it. She could almost see the wolf lurking behind his glinting amber eyes, his face wearing an almost feral look.

Dumbledore smiled.

"I was hoping you'd say that. Now, I have another thing I wish to ask of you - I wish for you, Remus, to take on the Defense Against the Dark Art's post at Hogwarts - I'm really wearing the teacher's out you know," Dumbledore said with a glint in his eyes.

Remus gaped at Dumbledore.

"You're serious?"

"Deadly," Dumbledore said lightly. "After all, you have the experience, education, dedication and everything in between - everything any child would wish in a teacher."

Remus actually blushed under the Headmaster's face.

"I'll do it. But - "

" - Ah, as for the full-moon, Buffy would take your place during those times."

Buffy stared at Dumbledore.

"Me? Teach?"

"Yes," Dumbledore said.

"Say yes, Buffy," Remus prodded. "You know you want to - and you got some experience too, you know - student counselor at Sunnydale High, remember?"

Buffy glared at Remus.

"Well, I wasn't hired because I earned the post, but only because the principal wanted a Slayer. I sucked."

"No, you didn't," Remus assured her. "The students liked you. You were good."

Buffy sighed.

"Well, if you don't accept, I have to ask Severus to take Remus' place when he is indisposed," Dumbledore said, his voice latched with amusement. It took around two seconds, before what Dumbledore had said progressed in Buffy's and Remus' brains.

"No way!" They said, simultaneously. "I'll take it," Buffy said quickly. "No worries, I'll take it."

"Excellent. Now since that is out of the way - Remus, I have some other news for you."

"Yes?" Remus asked.

"Yes. As you well know, we cannot risk the students finding out about your, ah, condition, so..."

"I could use the Whomping Willow again," Remus suggested.

"Actually," Dumbledore said. "You will stay in your office."

Remus and Buffy blinked. They had almost known Dumbledore was a little crazy, but while they were gone, he must have lost it completely.

"Excuse me? Could you repeat that?"

"You will stay in your office," Dumbledore said, that annoying twinkle in his eye twinkling even more than usual.

"That is not possible! The students would hear me! I would rip the room to pieces! I could get loose and hurt somebody! I may not be dangerous to Buffy, but I am to the students and everyone else! I will not risk hurting anybody, I - "

"You misunderstood me, Remus," Dumbledore said calmly. "You will be in your office - but sedated."

"Sedated?" Buffy asked, now thoroughly confused. "You want me to bring my tranquillizer gun?" She asked dumbly.

Dumbledore chuckled.

"No, although that might be a good idea. What I am trying to say is that, during your absence, a man in the wizarding world, Damocles Belby, managed to invent a potion, which renders the werewolf harmless - they still transform, but they loose the craving to attack and bite. They are able to remain as a normal wolf, so Remus will just stay locked in his rooms during the full moon, and he will not need to go to the Shrieking Shack again."

Remus opened and closed his mouth a few times, but no sound came out. Buffy didn't look much better off, and it took awhile before either of them regained composure. All the time, Dumbledore was watching them with that twinkle, sucking on his lemon drops. Finally, Buffy seemed to wake up of her trance.

"Amazing," she breathed. "Just amazing...who invented it? Wait, you already said that...I mean, when? And what's it called? Who will brew it for Remus? I mean, I doubt Remus' or I would be able to - Potions isn't our area of expertise, as you well know, and it sounds fairly complicated...or will we buy it somewhere? Is it cheap? Of course it isn't cheap," she then added, more to herself than anybody else - she was still mostly in a shocked daze, and Remus was still pretty out of it - his eyes were all glassy, and it didn't seem like he was aware of what was going on in his surroundings.

"It was made in the end of 1992, and is called Wolfsbane, after one of its main herbs. And you are right in suspecting the potion is expensive to buy, and complicated to brew - it is a very complex and difficult process - very few are capable of making it properly. Luckily, Hogwarts is blessed with one such expert. I asked Severus to make it each month..."

"What?" This made Remus come out of his trance.

"What?" Buffy echoed. There went that dream crashing out of the window. Surely, she planned to spend time with Remus during his transformations anyway, but a potion that could make him harmless to others...maybe Sarah and Phoebe could keep him company also, make him even more happy (although she knew Remus would never allow them to see him in his wolf-form, even though they had already done it before - without him knowing, of course, and completely by accident...kind of)...maybe take away his pain... but now, their hope was lost. Snape could never have agreed to do it.

"...and he agreed."

Buffy's jaw almost hit the floor.

"What? SNAPE agreed to make the potion to Remus?"

"Yes," Dumbledore said. "He wasn't happy about it, but he promised to do it."

"I won't let him," Buffy stated. "He will poison Remus at the first chance. No way."

"I am very sad that you have not yet gotten over your grudges, even after all those years," Dumbledore said sadly. "Remus, you should know that I trust Severus with my life - "

"Doesn't mean Remus trusts him with his," Buffy cut in.

" - and that you should at least try to treat each other with respect."

Remus took a deep breath.

"I will do my best," he said. Buffy gawked at him. Had Remus lost his mind? "But I can promise you, I will get nothing of it from Severus, but if he agrees to make this potion, and doesn't mess with it, I guess I can at least try to be mature."

Dumbledore got a broad smile at his face at this.

"Excellent. I hope Buffy will at least try to follow your example - "

Buffy only gave him a glare in response.

" - But I guess that would be too much to ask for," the Headmaster finished, his broad smile growing even wider.

"Now, you will travel the Hogwarts express along with the students tomorrow, and you should know that Dementors will patrol the train and the school grounds on order of the Ministry."

"Dementors?" Remus asked disbelievingly. "Dementors?"

"Yes, Dementors," Dumbledore said grimly. "I am not more happy about it than you are, but the Ministry insisted. They too believe Sirius is after Harry, and want to catch him as soon as possible, and they also say they are for Harry's protection - even if I believe you two are enough."

"If anything those monsters will put Harry in more danger," Buffy muttered angrily.

"I agree with you, however there is nothing I can do - not even I stand over the orders of the Minister of Magic," Dumbledore said. "Now, you should go pack - "

" - Wait," Buffy said. "What did the teachers say when hearing we would come back...if you have told them? I mean, you can't have been sure we would have accepted?"

Dumbledore chuckled.

"I have to admit I was actually quite sure you both would accept. And I have only told two of them - Severus, as I had to ask him if he was willing to brew the Wolfsbane, and Minerva, since she is the Deputy Headmistress. To the others I simply said it was a surprise."

Buffy and Remus laughed. They couldn't wait to see the teacher's reactions, even if a lot of them must have been replaced by now.

"Severus, was, as I'm sure you can imagine, furious. But I must say Minerva's reaction was the most entertaining..."

"Tell us!" Buffy said eagerly. Dumbledore laughed again.

"Maybe some other time. Now you really need to go pack, so you can get settled in at your new home I have made ready for you - and your children, of course, before entering the express. There are only a few hours left now."

"I thought we would live at Hogwarts?"

"Yes, you will, but maybe, sometimes, you would want to get away from the castle," Dumbledore said pleasantly, smiling at them. "And, if you showed up at the castle before the students, the surprise would be ruined."

Remus and Buffy nodded, both smiling as they imagined the professors' reaction.

"Thank you, Headmaster."

"Please, call me Albus. And I do believe your daughter is waiting right outside the door, and has been for quite some time," he added in a small whisper.

Buffy and Remus eyes widened, before they flew up, sprinting towards the door. Buffy threw the door open, revealing Sarah, who flew head first into the room, landing in front of her father's feet.

"Oops?"

Remus suddenly found the urge to laugh. Right now, Sarah looked exactly like Buffy had done when she first arrived in his world.

"Yes, oops," he said with a grin. "I thought I told you to go up to bed."

"Well..." Sarah said slowly. "I did...but you never said I had to stay there."

Dumbledore chuckled from the couch.

"Let the child be," he said. "Now we do not have to explain to her."

Sarah frowned.

"I don't think I understood exactly everything."

"Then what did you understand?"

"That we'll go to dad's world to protect someone called Harry from some dementurft stuff and a Vollywart - or something. And that mom and dad are going to teach and that we'll live in a hoggwar place and that someone mom and dad don't like is going to make a potion so dad won't be dangerous during the full-moon. I think. Maybe I got it wrong..." Sarah pouted.

Remus' lips twitched.

"What you understood was enough. Why don't I clear it up a bit for you and Phoebe while mummy packs, and contacts our friends, hmm?"

Sarah nodded eagerly, and almost dragged Remus with her up the stairs, making him stumble slightly.

A little more than an hour later, they were done (things went so much faster with magic) and ready to go. Buffy's and Remus' friends had been over, hugs had been received, and farewells had been said. They had all promised to make sure that people at Sarah's and Phoebe's school, and their friends, would get to know that they had had to make a very sudden move, and didn't know when they would be back - if at all. Now, the Summers-Lupin family stood nervously in front of Dumbledore as he held up the blue magical stone that would take them back.

"Are you ready?" He asked them, somberly.

They both nodded.

"As ready as I'll ever be," Remus said grimly.

"Come what may," Buffy added quietly.

Dumbledore nodded, and they all stepped into the blue circle they had painted at the floor - Dumbledore places the stone in the middle, and they clasped their hands together - their luggage was safely shrunken and placed in their pockets. Dumbledore started to say the incantation that would take them back to a place Remus and Buffy had thought they had left forever, but had hoped one day to return to. Dumbledore finished the incantation, and in a bright flash, they were gone.

* * *

**A/N:** And here comes the hopefully much awaited first chapter of Come What May. And it's a long one! I'm really interested to know whether you'd like short and many chapters, or long and fewer chapters (and maybe a little longer between updates every once in awhile). And I'm so sorry for the long wait, guys! But I actually have a good excuse this time! (If you've read my LJ, you already know this) This is because a storm (lightning etc) hit a powerthingy which destroyed our internetconnection/modem stuff so we have to buy a new one. As if that wasn't enough, it also destroyed my family's televisions and DVD's. I HAVE BEEN SO BORED! At least the internet is back up again... 

Now, about review responses - anonymous reviewers and the thank you's will be posted at my LJ. The rest will be responded to with the feature. Earlier I've been doubling it, but it feels a little unnecessary. How many of you are reading my LJ, anyway...? Plus, it takes "a lot" of time, which I don't feel that I have any longer. I'm in my last year of school now, and have decided to try and become more focused. Try is the key word there. ;) Not sure how long that will hold up... Anyway, instead, I'll try to post other stuff at my LJ, more often, with little comments on chapter progress and stuff so it will become a lot more informative than it has been this far. Hope you'll comment!

/Ida

* * *


	2. Toujours pur

**Come What May**

Chapter 2 – Toujours pur.

DISCLAIMER: Buffy the Vampire Slayer belongs to Joss Whedon, and Harry Potter to J.K. Rowling. I don't own anything…

RATING: PG-13 (T) to R (M) - violence, language, angst, horror, possible mild sexual interactions, etc. If you can watch BTVS/AtS and read HP, I doubt you'll have any problem with this story.

TIMELINE: AU. Part 4 in the OOTB-series. Takes place during the Prisoner of Azkaban, the Goblet of Fire and includes missing moments from the Order of the Phoenix. It begins at Hogwarts, wizarding time, and then as it switches to Sunnydale time, we jump to where the epilogue to "Never the Same" (Part 3) left off.

SUMMARY: BTVS/HP crossover. When Dumbledore arrives at Buffy's and Remus' doorstep, they are both very surprised, but agree to come back with him to the wizarding world and protect Harry Potter from Sirius Black, the man responsible for the murders of Peter Pettigrew and Harry's parents. Sirius has somehow managed to escape prison, out for revenge...but so is Buffy and Remus. How will all this mess end?

PAIRING: Buffy/Remus

**Special Thanks to:** **My Beta -** CharmedChick

* * *

**Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, late August 30, 1993.**

"Omph!" The Summers-Lupin family landed in a big heap in the middle of the Headmaster's office, while Dumbledore himself somehow had managed to stay on his feet and gave them all a bright smile.

"I hate universal time travel portals..." Buffy muttered, as she got to her feet.

"I second that notion," Remus said, standing dizzily, before helping Phoebe, who was looking rather green, up.

"Daddy, I think I need to puke," she mumbled.

"That was wicked!" Sarah exclaimed, bouncing to her feet. "Can we do it again?"

"NO!" Three voices exclaimed and Sarah pouted.

Dumbledore chuckled. "Well, welcome - " He turned to Sarah and Phoebe. " - And welcome back - " He turned to Buffy and Remus. " - To Hogwarts."

"It's just as when I left it," Buffy breathed, looking around at all the things in the room, from the sleeping portraits to Fawkes on his bench. "Hi Fawkes."

Fawkes thrilled a greeting, and Phoebe looked up at the firebird with big eyes, feeling a lot better already. "He's so pretty," she said, awwed, before putting her thumb in her mouth.

"Yes, he is," Remus said, smiling at his youngest daughter. Suddenly, there was a loud exclamation coming from a portrait, and they all turned around, seeing Sarah standing a poking the nose of Phineas Nigellus.

"Stop poking me, you little brat!" The portrait spat, desperately trying to escape into another portrait beside him, which resulted in that portrait waking up. This lead to the two starting to argue, and soon all of the portraits were awake, shouting at each other.

Sarah giggled. "That is so cool! They talk! I mean, I've seen some of your moving photos, mum, dad, but this is awesome!"

Buffy groaned. "Sarah, what have I told you about touching unfamiliar things."

"But he was sleeping!" Sarah protested, gesturing wildly at the now disheveled looking Phineas. "And it looked like he needed some cheering up!" She gave the portrait another poke.

"Oh, give it a rest, will you?" Phineas said, crankily. "I'm not a pet!"

"Sarah," Remus admonished gently, secretly amused at his daughter's antics. "Stop disturbing Phineas and come back over here."

"Oh, let her stay," Dumbledore chuckled. "Maybe they can engage in a conversation while we grown-ups talk."

"Alright," Buffy said. "Phoebe, join your sister. Sarah - you can talk with the - eh - nice - portrait - but no more poking."

"Okay!" Sarah grinned brightly, waving Phoebe over and sitting down at the floor, cross-legged, in front of the annoyed looking portrait.

"Hello, Sir Phineas. I'm Sarah. What is it like, being a portrait...?"

Dumbledore moved to sit behind his desk and gave Buffy and Remus a look, as they sat down at the chairs in front of it. "Now we have the matter of deciding the living arrangements. As I said, I have prepared a house for you to live in, aside from your quarters. I think it is a place you will both find familiar - it is the Shrieking Shack."

Buffy jaw hit the floor while Remus paled.

"You can't be serious!" Buffy exclaimed. "You expect us to live there? At that...place? No way!"

"I understand this may come as a shock, but I assure you, it is almost nothing like you remember. And it is the only place close enough to the school - "

" - Then we'll just stay inside the school," Buffy said. "You had quarters prepared here as well, right? Well, that will have to be enough, because I'll not set a foot in that horrid place ever again, and neither will Remus. Do you understand what that will do to him? What he will feel? You know what he's been going through in that place!"

Dumbledore said nothing as Buffy kept rambling on. "If you are quite finished," he finally said, "maybe Remus himself could come with an input?"

Buffy turned silent and blushed a little. "Sorry," she mumbled. "But you can't seriously expect us to live there...it's just wrong."

"Except being close to - and connected with the Whomping Willow and the school grounds - what else would be positive with us living there?" Remus asked Dumbledore, making Buffy's jaw drop again.

"You can't be seriously considering it?" She gasped. Remus, who still looked pale, just gave her a long look before turning back to Dumbledore. "If Dumbledore thinks we should live there...it must be a good reason for it."

"Yes, you are correct, as always, Remus," Dumbledore said, folding his hands on the top of the desk. "I admit I have my reasons for wanting you there - since Sirius knows about the Shack and the Willow, and their connection with the school grounds, he might try to use it to get to Harry. Which is what we're trying to prevent. That is why I want you there - so that it is guarded. So that you can stop it in case he shows up."

Buffy grew pale. "I didn't think of that," she said quietly. "But...are you sure there's no other way?"

Dumbledore said nothing, waiting for one of them to speak up again.

"We'll do it," Remus finally said. "We'll move inside. The good overweighs the bad. I won't like it, but my feelings about that place will have to be put aside. Harry comes first."

Dumbledore nodded. "I am glad you have agreed. Now, if you will all follow me," he smiled at Sarah and Phoebe, who stopped chatting with the portraits and stood up, "I will show you your quarters here at the school."

* * *

They stopped in front of a portrait where a small little girl with pigtails resided, playing with her doll.

"Hello, dear," Dumbledore said and the girl looked up, her mouth breaking into a grin as she stood up and curtsied.

"Hello, Headmaster. Is this the family that is going to live here?"

"Yes, indeed. Buffy, Remus, Phoebe, Sarah, this is Savannah, and she will be the portrait that is guarding your quarters."

The girl nodded, seriously. "Yes. I am your guard," she said importantly, slamming her fist against her chest. "Password?"

"Lemon drops," Dumbledore said, and the portraits swung open, to the sound of Buffy and Remus groaning. Dumbledore gave them an amused look.

"You can change it, whenever you wish, of course."

They climbed through portrait hole, and stepped into a large room with a bookcase resting against the wall, a large desk in front of the window that gave them a clear view of the lake and the beginnings of the Forbidden Forest. In the right corner, there was a large bed, and in another corner, there were two fluffy chairs placed in front a fireplace.

"Is it to your liking?" Dumbledore asked mildly.

"Yes, it's great," Buffy said. "But where are the girls going sleep?"

"Oh, right over here," Dumbledore said brightly, leading them over to the right wall where there was a door, which he opened. As they stuck their heads through, they got sight of a slightly smaller room with two identical beds standing side by side in front of the window.

"I thought you would appreciate a go-between-door instead of you all staying in the same quarters," Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling, as Remus and Buffy blushed slightly.

"Yes," Remus coughed. "It's perfect. Thank you."

"Excellent. Now," Dumbledore pulled out a paper from his pocket. "Here are your class schedules. And I suggest you start making plans for what your lessons should contain. After all, the students will be here tomorrow." He gave them a wink and a smile before leaving through the portrait hole, whistling.

Buffy scowled at his retreating back. "That man is too cheery for his own good."

Remus snorted. "Yep," he agreed. "If I start making the lesson plans, you and the kids can change the password and pack up some of our stuff? Not everything, considering we need some of if in the...Shack."

Buffy nodded. "Great idea. Hey, Savannah?" She said out loud, and the portrait swung around, so her picture was facing the insides of the quarters rather than the corridor.

"Yes, ma'm?" She said promptly, which made Remus snort from where he was sitting by the desk.

"Eh, just Buffy will be enough, thank you, Savannah," Buffy said. Savannah nodded.

"Alright, Buffy ma'm."

Buffy groaned. "Yeah...anyway, how do I change the password?"

"Oh, that's easy!" Savannah said brightly. Just place your hand against my picture - though not on me directly, I'm quite ticklish - and say the old password followed by the new one."

"Great!" Buffy placed her hand against the girl's doll. "Lemon drop. Marauders."

She heard the scratching from Remus' quill come to a stop for a few seconds, before it started up again, this time with more ferocity than before.

"Old password deleted. New password - marauders - registered," Savannah said. "Was there anything else?"

"No, thank you, Savannah, that will be all."

"Yes, Buffy ma'm." The portrait swung back around.

Buffy turned to the kids and gave them a bag each. "Here," she said. "Go and pack up some stuff in your room, okay?"

"Okay!" Sarah said brightly, taking Phoebe by the hand.

"And Sarah?" Buffy said.

"Mhmm?"

"No changing the password without dad's or my permission, alright?"

Sarah sighed. "Fine."

"You promise?"

"I promise."

"Good."

As the door after the girls closed, Remus turned around from the desk and gave Buffy a long look. "Why did you change the password to that?" He asked quietly. "The marauders are gone."

"I thought we needed something to remind ourselves of them," Buffy said.

The quill in Remus hand snapped, and Buffy flinched.

"I don't need a reminder, Buffy," Remus said with a slight growl. "I want to forget!"

"Well, I don't!" Buffy countered. "I want - I need - to be reminded of all the good we had! Not the bad that is! I realize it's painful - but I need to be able to talk to you about them! They were your best friends! They were my best friends! And you just want to forget?"

"No. I don't want to. I need to," Remus said, standing up and starting to pace around the room. "I need to forget because - " his voice broke. "I just can't take it, Buffy. If I'm reminded of the 'good times'...I think it would kill me. I wouldn't be able to move on. Because what we had - we don't have anymore. And we won't ever get it back. And that hurts."

Buffy walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. "I realize that. It hurts me too. But...we need to remember. The years with Lily, James, Eliza, Peter and Sirius - before all the bad happened. Do you really want to forget all those moments? All those perfect moments? Lily and James' kiss? Valentine's Day? The Quidditch games? Turkey McGonagall? The Room of Requirement? That's like denying they ever happened. But they did happen, Remus. And I don't want to forget. I want to remember. And I want to remember with a smile on my face. Not with pain in my heart because I can't share those memories with you."

Remus hugged her close and took a deep breath. "You're right. I'm sorry." He buried his face in her hair. "How is it that you always make me feel better?"

Buffy smiled into Remus' shirt.

"Magic."

* * *

"You want us...to get close to that?" Sarah said as she stared up at the whipping Whomping Willow with big eyes, her facade of bravery gone the moment she set eyes on the large tree.

"Yep," Remus said. "But don't worry. It's a friend of mine."

Buffy snorted. "Yeah, right..."

Remus pulled out his wand, still bent from the whole episode with Caleb. "I really need to get this fixed," he muttered, before he mumbled something, and a stream of light flew out from the tip, hitting a knot on the tree trunk, and the branches immediately stilled.

"Come on," he said. "Let's go." Remus led the way to a large gap in the roots and crawled inside.

"You want us to...crawl through there?" Phoebe asked, sounding terrified. Buffy nudged her forward. "Go on. It's alright, honey. Daddy's right inside."

Phoebe hesitated for a moment, then took a deep breath and crawled into the gap. A few seconds later, Remus voice was heard.

"I've got her! Sarah, you're next. And Buffy, push the knot again - we don't want the tree to start moving while you're under it."

"Right." Buffy quickly pushed the knot again, before throwing herself into the gap through which Sarah's feet had just disappeared.

Down in the tunnel, Phoebe was clutching Remus' hand. "Daddy, I'm scared."

"It's alright, sweetie." Suddenly, there was a loud bump behind them and Phoebe let out a large shriek of fright.

"Sorry," Sarah whispered. "Couldn't help my landing."

Phoebe stopped screaming, but was clutching Remus' hand even harder. There was another bump, and Buffy appeared behind Sarah.

"We're all here. Let's go."

They started to walk through the tunnel - Remus and Buffy bent-backed - the only light guiding them coming from Remus' and Buffy's wands.

After what felt like an eternity, and just as Sarah started to complain that her feet hurt, the tunnel began to rise and twisted. Through a small opening, they could see a light.

"Are we there yet?" Phoebe asked, her voice trembling. Remus squeezed her hand. "Yes, honey. We're there." His back was probably grateful over that fact. He was too old for walking bent like this...

Buffy blinked as her eyes got sight of the dust bunnies covering the room they'd entered. She snorted. "'Nothing like we remember' my ass," she muttered. "It's just as when we last saw it!"

And it was indeed. Actually, it was worse. Dust bunnies, spider webs, the rickety stairs...it was all there. Sarah cast her brave facade aside, clutching Buffy's hand like a life-line, while Phoebe shuddered.

"Daddy, I don't like it here," the five-year old whispered, her eyes staring transfixed at the blood covered walls.

Remus cast her a look, but said nothing. He was pale and sweating slightly. Too many bad memories of this place... he gulped.

"Let's go upstairs," Buffy said quietly, placing the hand that wasn't holding Sarah's on Remus' arm in comfort.

The family slowly made there way up the stairs, which creaked and once in a while seemed to sway dangerously. All let out a breath of relief as they came upstairs - and became silent in shock.

Where broken and thrown over furniture once had been, there was now whole couches, chairs and tables made of beautiful wood. The floor which had been covered with splinters, was now covered by a dark red rug. In the corner, a new, shiny black piano was standing, and in another corner, there was a large bed, covered in soft pillows and blankets. By one of the walls, there was a large bookcase, and by another, two small beds with a bureau between them was resting. Through the glass covered windows, sun streamed inside. The bathroom was no longer covered in water, but sparkling clean and shining.

"Okay..." Buffy was the first one to break the stunned silence. "I guess things are...nothing like we remember."

Remus pale cheeks was regaining color as he looked around in wonder.

"It's so different...I can actually see myself living here...I...actually...feel nothing." His face took on a shade of pure bliss and contentment. "No bad memories."

Buffy shot him a large grin. "That's fantastic. I think I could see myself living here too... once we fix the stairs and the lower floor. We'll have to ask Dumbledore why he didn't fix that."

* * *

Dumbledore gave them a surprised look. "Why, I thought that would be obvious. In case Black shows up, he will come either through the Whomping Willow, or from Hogsmeade. Both entrances lead to the lower floor, which looks properly damaged and abandoned. He'd get the impression no one has been there for years and years, and probably come back - maybe even stay there. And that would give you a chance to catch him by surprise, say, in case you where on the upper floor at the same time. If the lower floor looked lived in, he'd immediately realize something was wrong, and leave. Black is tremendously intelligent."

"Oh. Right. I didn't think about that," Buffy said. "Still - do we have your permission to fix the stairs? None of us really fancy it coming crashing down while we're standing on it."

"Of course. Just make sure it still looks broken - hopefully that will keep Black from venturing upstairs..."

* * *

The Shrieking Shack was the furthest from Sirius Black's mind at the moment. He was sitting in a muggle basement, chewing on some left overs he'd found in a dust-bin, while his dark eyes skimmed over a letter he'd just gotten from an owl. A letter that bore the seal of Gringotts._'Mr Black._

_As your stay in Azkaban prison has come to an end, it is our duty to inform you of what you could not learn while locked up (as you know, we at Gringotts stay out of human business, as long as it is not about money, and as such, we could care less about your illegal break-out). _

_In 1987, your parents passed to the great beyond (May they Rest in Peace), which means that their assets in the form of several mansions on various unplottable locations, and one Grimmauld Place in London, now belong to you, along with the several million Galleons residing in the Black vault, as you are the last male Black alive today. _

_To claim your inheritance, you need to fill out several documents that awaits you in Gringotts, the London Branch, Diagon Alley._

_Enclosed with this letter is a short message from your mother, the late Walburga Black._

_We are patiently awaiting your visit,_

_-----Gringott XII,  
---Head of Gringotts Wizarding Bank, branch Diagon Alley, London, England, Europe,  
-Direct descendant of Gringott_ _I, founder of Gringotts Wizarding Bank  
_  
xxxxxxxxxxx

_'Dear, son._

_If you read this, your father and I have both passed away. I am not certain you will mourn us, but we will mourn that we never got to say 'we're sorry', sweet Sirius. I never thought I'd call you by that title ever again, but you cannot believe how proud you have made us. When you was sorted into Gryffindor, your father and I were devastated, and even more so when you ran away from home at sixteen. It pained us to disown you, but it was necessary - the Black's have always prided in their pureblood-lineage, and when you decided to go your own way, it was the only option available to us, my son. _

_Today, I realize it was all an act._

_Today, I am proud to call you my oldest son and heir._

_I have just read the newspaper - read how you betrayed the Potters. Read how you killed Peter Pettigrew and those awful Mudbloods. Read how you have been a loyal supporter of the Dark Lord ever since the very beginning, working behind the scenes._

_I should have known you would never turn your back on your family, Sirius._

_I should have known you would never turn your back on the Dark Lord, like Regelus did. (His fate was well deserved - I cannot mourn him - your father cannot mourn him - as we both know how he betrayed the Dark Lord. How he in the last second got 'cold feet'.) We should always have believed in you, my dear Sirius, and not put all of our affection on Regulus, who turned out to be right useless. A disappointment._

_I know nothing we say can make up for what we have done to you. That nothing can take back the harsh and cruel words we called you when we thought you were lost to us. _

_Therefore, I hope that we can do you right by giving to you three quarters of the many million Galleons residing in our vault, along with all of our mansions on several unplottable locations around the world. Their locations are guarded by Kreacher, who still lives at Grimmauld Place, London. The Blacks have never been poor, my dear Sirius, and they never will be._

_Now, I am sure you wonder why you get everything, while dear Bella and Cissy get nothing. (I am sure you understand, without explanation, why Andromeda is not even mentioned)_

_Our assets - our fortune - is the only thing we can give you that even remotely can make up for our mistake, and as such, I am certain Bellatrix, who is more than capable of caring for herself, and Narcissa, who is quite well-off without our help considering her husband's fortune, will understand. I am also certain you will share your inheritance with both your cousins, as I know what big heart you have, and know that family is everything._

_Toujours pur, Always,_

_Your mother.'_

Sirius smirked to himself while he read the letter from his mother. So his poor parents felt bad, did they? He started to laugh. Oh, the irony! They would be turning in their graves had they known the truth. He closed his fist around the letter, and crumpled it together. Then, he slowly started to rip it apart, piece by piece, until nothing but small, tiny, tiny flakes of white remained and was swept away by the wind coming from the open basement window.

"No, mother," Sirius croaked out loud to the empty basement. "My heart is broken. And my real family is dead. Because of Peter." He stood up, his dark eyes shining with madness in the dim light. "He will pay."

* * *

**A/N:** Another chapter! Hope you liked it! And thank you soooo much for all your reviews! Wow! I feel really honoured! And as a gesture in how honoured, from now on, there will by a "Reviewer of the week" feature on my LJ, where I mention the person(s) who's review has meant the most/touched me in a special way. Keep reading my LJ for update notices and such as well!

/Ida

* * *


	3. Frozen

**Come What May**

Chapter 3 – Frozen.

DISCLAIMER: Buffy the Vampire Slayer belongs to Joss Whedon, and Harry Potter to J.K. Rowling. I don't own anything…

RATING: PG-13 (T) to R (M) - violence, language, angst, horror, possible mild sexual interactions, etc. If you can watch BTVS/AtS and read HP, I doubt you'll have any problem with this story.

TIMELINE: AU. Part 4 in the OOTB-series. Takes place during the Prisoner of Azkaban, the Goblet of Fire and includes missing moments from the Order of the Phoenix. It begins at Hogwarts, wizarding time, and then as it switches to Sunnydale time, we jump to where the epilogue to "Never the Same" (Part 3) left off.

SUMMARY: BTVS/HP crossover. When Dumbledore arrives at Buffy's and Remus' doorstep, they are both very surprised, but agree to come back with him to the wizarding world and protect Harry Potter from Sirius Black, the man responsible for the murders of Peter Pettigrew and Harry's parents. Sirius has somehow managed to escape prison, out for revenge...but so is Buffy and Remus. How will all this mess end?

PAIRING: Buffy/Remus

**Special Thanks to:** **My Beta -** CharmedChick

* * *

"So how would you feel about seeing a wizarding shopping alley today? Mum and I have some business we need to take care of. We could take a room at the Leaky Cauldron, as we're taking the Hogwarts Express back to school tomorrow," Remus said the next day.

Sarah stopped chewing her breakfast and cocked her head to the side.

"Is it like the black market? In Sunnydale?"

Buffy and Remus froze, their cups of coffee and tea respectively halfway to their mouths.

"No," Buffy said, her lips in a thin line. "It's nothing like the black market."

"How do you know about the black market?" Remus said slowly, putting down his cup on the table.

"Oh, Willow took me once, when she was baby-sitting me. You were picking up Phoebe from kindergarten and mum was at work. I was home sick. Remember?"

Buffy's lips, if possible, grew even thinner - they were actually resembling McGonagall's at the moment. '_Oh, if Willow were here, I'd strangle her...'_

Remus coughed. "Yes...I think I remember that time..."

Sarah nodded. "It was really fun. And really scary. I had nightmares for days."

_**Flashback**_

"Hi, Willow!"

_Willow Rosenberg, just a red-haired as ever, stepped inside Revello Drive, and was greeted by a seven year-old brown-haired fire-cracker named Sarah Summers-Lupin, nose slightly puffy._

_"Hi, Sarah! How are you feeling?"_

_Sarah shrugged._

_"I'm good. Mum thinks I can go back to school soon." She leaned forward conspiratorially. "But if dad has his way, I think I'll be home 'til Christmas."_

_Willow laughed and ruffled up her hair, just as Remus stepped into the hallway._

_"Oh, Willow, you're here. Good." He kneeled down and gave Sarah a hug._

_"Don't give Willow any problems, alright?"_

_"I promise," Sarah said innocently. Remus turned back to Willow._

_"It might take a while; after I've picked up Phoebe, I have to go and get some things from the supermarket, and we'll probably meet up with Buffy on her way from work. Is that okay?"_

_Willow nodded. "Just peachy."_

_"Thank you so much for watching her, Willow. Usually, Xander would, but he...eh...Anya demanded a 'day-away-from-work-and-spent-in-bed.' I'd rather not reflect too much over what that means."_

_Willow grinned. "Understandable. Really, it's no problem. Tara's busy with her Slayer anyway."_

_"Oh, that new one? From Spain?"_

_Willow shook her head. "No. Dana - from LA. Remember? Got here awhile after we activated all of them."_

_" The one that had a - what did Spike call it again - a screw loose?"_

_"Yep." Willow grimaced. "That's the one. It's been years, and we're barely making any progress with her at all. But we've got to keep trying."_

_Remus nodded. "Yeah. Well, I've got to get going. I'll see you later, Sarah!"_

_"Bye, daddy!"_

_As the door closed, Willow turned to Sarah._

_"So what do you want to do?"_

_"Can you show me some magic?" Sarah asked excitedly._

_"Umm..." Willow bit her lip. "I probably shouldn't...not without your parents' permission..."_

_"Please?" Sarah pouted, and gave her the puppy dog eyes._

_"Alright...what do you want to see? The floating pencil?"_

_"Yay!"_

_

* * *

****__Several floating objects later..._

_Sarah was starting to look rather bored._

_"Can we do something else now? Something more exciting?"_

_"Eh..." Willow took a quick glance at the clock. "Sure..."_

_Sarah frowned. "What is it?"_

_"Well...I really need to pick up some stuff for a spell from the black market that might be able to help Dana..."_

_"The wacky Slayer?"_

_"Yeah... but Tara has forbidden me to go when it's dark...there are only the worst kind of creeps there then..."_

_Sarah gave her a curious look._

_"Why would there be creeps? What is the black market?"_

_"Umm...it's a place where you can by magical stuff. Bad magical stuff," Willow hurried to say as she saw Sarah's excited look. "Nothing like the Magic Box."_

_"Well, then you better hurry before it get's dark," Sarah said seriously. "Because it will be soon. And you promised Tara to go when it's light. And you should always keep your promises."_

_"Yes, but I also promised to watch you."_

_Sarah frowned. "You shouldn't promise things you can't keep."_

_Willow's lips twitched. "That's true..."_

_"...So...maybe you can take me with you? That way, you do both things at once."_

_Willow started to look nervous. "Well...that's probably a very, VERY bad idea..."_

_"Why? Can't you protect me? You're a very powerful witch, aren't you? Xander says you're the most powerful white witch in the hemys...hemus...hemmyphere."_

_Willow started to babble. "Well, yes, and I would be perfectly able to protect you and we'd be back really soon, probably before your parents and Phoebe, so it's nothing to worry about and you're right that I'm the most powerful witch in the hemisphere and all, but - "_

_" - Alright!" Sarah stood up, hitting her fist in the air. "Let's go then!"_

_Willow blinked. "O-okay...I guess..."_

_

* * *

__**At the black market...**_

_"Wow! This is so cool!" Sarah said, jumping up and down as she got sight of the bustling activity around them._

_"Mhmm..." Willow gave their surroundings a nervous look. "But keep your voice - and head - down. We don't want to get discovered by bad people. There are a lot of people here that would love to get their hands on a child. Especially the child of a Slayer and a werewolf. You and Phoebe are the only ones in the world that fit that description."_

_Sarah's eyes grew round. "Really? COOL!"_

_"SHHH!"_

_"Sorry!"_

_Willow walked over to a secluded tent in the outskirts of the market. "Hi. I'll need this." She gave the hag that sat in the tent a list written in Tara's cursive handwriting._

_The hag nodded, and disappeared behind a drapery. In the meantime, Sarah was looking curiously at some strange looking white pearls with blotches of a rosy looking red that was lying in a box on the table in the tent._

_"Willow?"_

_"Uh-uh?"_

_"These are cool." She picked the box up. Can I have some?"_

_"N-no," Willow stammered. "You don't want those. Believe me."_

_"Why not?" Sarah took up a pearl and gave it a curious look._

_"T-that's baby-teeth.."_

_Sarah's eyes widened and she promptly dropped the tooth back in the box, before putting it back on the table. "Oh..." She squeaked, drying her hands on her pants. _

_Silence. Then..._

_"Is that tomatoes?" Sarah had picked up another tin and screwed of the lid. "They smell funny."_

_Willow paled as she realized what Sarah was inspecting._

_"T-that's because they're not tomatoes. T-they're hearts."_

_Sarah paled, and dropped the tin onto the ground. The glass broke and the hearts and red fluid ran out. Sarah stumbled backwards, so she wouldn't step on it...and backed right into another shelf, which fell with a crash._

_"WHAT'S GOING ON HERE!" The hag had came back, and let out a shriek as she saw what had happened. "LOOK WHAT YOU'VE DONE!"_

_The crash and the hag's loud voice had drawn the attention of the crowd which was nearing the tent, threateningly. Willow quickly grabbed a terrified Sarah with one hand and held out the other towards the crowd._

_"INCENDERE!"_

_The crowd let out a shout and quickly backed down as the ground in front of them started on fire._

_"Willow..." Sarah whispered fearfully. The hag had started to chant, and her eyes had turned black. Quickly, Willow floated a mean looking knife that was lying on the ground, upwards and into the hag's throat. She fell to the ground, dead, with a gurgle. Sarah whimpered._

_"RUN!" Willow yelled, and started to drag Sarah with her through the crowd. The fire had gone out, but there was still smoke that covered them somewhat._

_"Please don't mention this, okay, sweetie?" Willow panted, as they got away from the market._

_

* * *

__**Back at Revello Drive...**_

_"Where have you been!" Buffy demanded as they stepped inside. We've been waiting forever! When we got back and you weren't here, we got really scared, Willlow! And why the He - " She cast a look at Sarah. " - He...licopter weren't you answering your cell?"_

_"Sorry," Willow said meekly. "We were out taking a walk. Sarah wanted some air. Though I think we went a too bit far. She's a bit tired."_

_Remus cast a look at Sarah who was breathing heavily and sweating. Her cheeks were red and her eyes glassy._

_"A bit?" He asked incredulously. "She looks like He - "_

_Buffy coughed._

_" - He...licopter," Remus finished._

_"Yeah...sorry...I think she better get to bed as soon as possible."_

_**End flashback.**_

"Well, as I said, Diagon Alley is nothing like the black market," Buffy said firmly. "And just so you know, Sarah - you're grounded for two days as soon as we get back from it."

Sarah gawked. "What!"

"Yes. The black market is nothing for kids. Hopefully, this will teach you to think twice. Although I doubt it," she added, mumbling. Remus let out a snort from across the table. "Sorry," he hastily added, as he saw Buffy's glare.

* * *

"The Leak...y - Leaky. Ca...Cauldron," Sarah read at the sign above their heads.

"That's right, Sarah," Remus said. "The Leaky Cauldron."

"What kind of place is that, mummy?" Phoebe mumbled.

"Take your thumb out from your mouth, Phoebe," Remus said. "Or no one will be able to hear what you're saying."

Phoebe just stuck her thumb further into her mouth in answer, making Remus sigh and Sarah snicker.

"Well, it's a pub, for wizarding folks," Buffy explained. "The manager, Tom, is really nice." She frowned. "I hope he still runs it."

Remus laughed. "If I know Tom right, he'll run that place 'til the end of his life and probably in his next as well. He's crazy about it." He snickered. "A woman substitute."

Buffy hit him playfully on the arm. "Are you comparing women to a pub?"

"Nope. But I think Tom is."

The kids laughed. Their laughter, however, turned to shouts of protest as Remus gave Buffy a quick kiss.

"YUCK!"

"Not in public too! It's bad enough at home!"

Buffy grinned. "Well, let's enter before the shops close," she said, and opened the door. The buzz of chatter immediately quieted down, and everyone gave the Summers-Lupin family a curious look.

"By Merlin's beard! If it isn't Buffy Summers! And Remus Lupin! It certainly wasn't yesterday!" Tom came out from behind the bar, which looked shabbier than ever, and shook Remus hand. "Where have you been all these years?"

"Oh, you know," Remus said airily. "Around."

"And you've been building a family, I see," Tom added, crouching down by Sarah and Phoebe. "Hello there. I'm Tom. And who might you two be?"

"That's Phoebe, and I'm Sarah. I'm nine. How old are you? And have you always been almost without any hair, or is it just now that you're becoming bald? And is it true you will run this pub even when you're dead? Won't that be difficult? And is it true you love your pub more than women?"

"Sarah!" Buffy hissed horrified, while Remus didn't seem to know whether to laugh or cry. However, Tom seemed to take no offense. He just blinked, and then started to laugh.

"You're a funny one! And in answer to your questions - I'm a lot older than you. And no, I have not always been bald - although always a bit thin-haired. And it's true it would be difficult to run this place while dead, but I'm sure I'd manage somehow. And even though women are all well and good, nothing's as reliable as old Leaky, here." He clapped the bar counter lovingly. "Hasn't failed me yet."

"Well, we should probably get going, Tom," Buffy said, blushing slightly. "It was really nice, seeing you again."

"Just one thing before we leave: We'll need a room for the night," Remus said.

"Oh, you're lucky - we're full - the Weasley's take up quite some space - But," Tom added, "there will be a family that leaves in a few hours, so I'll have a big room ready for you by this evening."

"Thank you, Tom," Buffy said.

Tom grinned.

"Have a very nice day, Buffy, Remus." He nodded at Sarah and Phoebe. "Miss Sarah. Miss Phoebe. I really enjoyed meeting you."

As they stepped out in the courtyard behind the pub, Remus turned to Sarah. "Sarah, you can't go around asking people questions like that. Tom took no offence, but some people might."

"Why?"

"Well...just...because."

Sarah shrugged. "Alright. I'll try. But I can't help it if I'm curious, so I won't promise. I never promise things I can't keep."

"Yes, we know that, honey," Buffy said.

"Alright," Remus pulled up his wand from his back pocket. "Let's see if I remember this correctly...three up...two across..." He tapped the wand against the brick wall three times, and soon, they were standing in the opening to Diagon Alley.

Sarah let out a squeak of delight, while Phoebe just stared at the bustling activity with big eyes.

"Nothing like the black market, right Sarah?"

"No...it's really not," Sarah said, staring in awe at the alley.

"Where to first, daddy?" Phoebe asked.

"Gringotts bank," Remus said. "Buffy and I need to check how much money we have in our vaults, and see if we can put some of our muggle money into them, and we need to convert the rest into wizarding coins."

"It's run by Goblins, by the way," Buffy added.

"Cool!" Sarah exclaimed. Phoebe's eyes grew even rounder, and they just kept widening as they entered the bank.

"This is awesome!" Sarah said and ran up to the first Goblin she saw.

"Hi! I'm Sarah! What is it like, being a Goblin? Is it like being a human? Do you ever pee?"

Remus choked on a laugh.

"Sarah! What did we tell you about asking questions?" Buffy hissed. She gave the Goblin an apologetic smile. "Sorry. She's just a kid. She doesn't know better. Really." She took Sarah by the arm and dragged her over to the counter furthest from the poor, gobsmacked Goblin.

"Hello. My name's Buffy Summers. Well, it's Buffy Summers-Lupin now. Anyway, my husband and I have been abroad for quite some time, and haven't checked our vaults since we left. We'd really like to know what's inside.

"Vault number?" The Goblin, who had a really long neck, grunted.

"Umm...815 and..."

"...614," Remus supplied.

"Right."

"Keys, please," the Goblin said with a bored voice.

Remus gave his key to the Goblin, but Buffy had frozen. "Oh, shit," she swore. "I forgot my key in Sunnydale!"

"No key, no access to the vault," the Goblin said in a monotone voice.

"Are you sure there's no other way? Don't you have a reserve key or something? You know, tiny keys aren't easy to keep track of."

"Can you describe the key?" The Goblin asked. "Every key has a certain identification sign."

Buffy froze up again. "Eh...it's gold?" She finally supplied. Remus smacked himself on the forehead.

"Every Gringotts key is in gold," the Goblin said.

"Well...how was I supposed to know that! Look, don't you have any other way to identify the vault owners than by ridiculously small keys? I mean, anyone could steel one! Or loose one! What if that happens?"

"It is up to every wizard or witch to take necessary steps to keep that from happening with anti-theft spells and loose-me-not spells. If the vault owner in question does not do that, it is his or her own fault, and in such a case, all the vault's contents belong to Gringotts," the Goblin said, looking quite gleeful.

"That is so not fair! What if you haven't been a witch or wizard very long? It's not certain you know those spells!"

"Then you have someone else perform them for you."

"And what if you don't even know that kind of spell exists! Huh! There should be some kind of Gringotts-folder or manual for new witches and wizards and clients! Not everyone is so well informed."

Silence.

Finally, the Goblin snapped his fingers, and another, taller, meaner looking Goblin walked over. "Yes?"

The two Goblins started to converse with odd clucking sounds and other weird noises coming from their throats - Gobbledegook.

"Mr. Lupin - go with Neckrook - he will take you to your vault," the taller Goblin said. "Miss Summers - "

" - Mrs. Summers-Lupin," Buffy corrected.

" - Mrs. Summers-Lupin," the Goblin agreed, waving away Neckrook and Remus, who took the kids with him.

"Since you seem to have lost your key and you also seem to have had no idea of the necessary precaution spells or the Gringotts policy, we will make an exception for you this once. A manual will be printed on your suggestion and left in the Gringotts lobby for all unenlightened humans that might need it to make sure their business with our bank runs smoothly. A new key will be supplied to you. Please, make sure you do not loose it this time."

"Slayer's honor," Buffy said with a mock-salute.

The Goblin just gave her a bored look, which made Buffy take down her hand quickly.

"But," the Goblin continued. "To make sure you is truly you, we will need to take a blood sample." He snapped his fingers, and a small knife appeared in his hand, along with some papers that Buffy recognized as the documents she'd signed when she first got her vault.

The Goblin grabbed her hand, and held it above the document with her signature, and cut into her palm - probably a bit harsher than necessary - and squeezed out some blood onto the paper, which glowed golden.

"Everything seems to be in order."

Buffy dried off her bloody hand on her sweater, as the Goblin hadn't offered her a tissue or anything, before mumbling a healing spell on her palm. Then she gave the Goblin an upset look. "So you had a way to verify that my vault was my vault! Why didn't you do it from the very beginning!"

The Goblin gave her a toothy grin. "A Goblin never reveals anything that may relieve them of the chance to earn extra money. That is also why we haven't had any folders informing new clients. Their mistakes are our luck. No one has brought it to our attention before either, when something like loosing a key has happened to them - no one has dared to - but now when you have, we must deal with it. An angry client would be bad for business.

Buffy just gawked at him. "Oh."

The Goblin gave her a new key. "If you follow me, I will take you to your vault now."

As Buffy got back from her vault, she found Remus, Sarah and Phoebe waiting for her.

"Mom!" Sarah exclaimed. "The cart-ride was amazing! Brilliant!"

Remus was looking rather pale.

"What is it?" Buffy asked, as soon as they came out of Gringotts.

"Uh...nothing...it's just...well, I never expected my account to have gained so much interest over the years I've been gone. There was considerably more now than when I left."

Buffy frowned. "Huh. I never thought of that, when I was in my vault...but now when you mention it, it did seem to be a lot more."

"Well, I was just surprised. Happily surprised," Remus added. "Now that I'm back in the wizarding world, I don't expect it will be easy for me to get a job. I mean, after the year's over, I really don't think I'll have a post at Hogwarts anymore. And even if I would, I wouldn't take it, because of the 'curse of the DADA position' and all. I don't want to tempt fate."

Buffy scoffed. "Oh, don't be so negative, Rem. Anyway, if that is the case, just take a job in the muggle world. You have the education."

Remus raised his eyebrows.

"Yeah. And the papers on said education is from the year two thousand-and-something. And considering we're in 1993, I don't think that matters a lot.

Buffy blushed. "Right...well, maybe there's someway to get new papers and stuff, without having to redo the entire education."

"Yeah. Hopefully. What are you going to do? When the year's up?"

Buffy shrugged. "I'll probably take a trip to St. Mungos and see if I still have a place there, I guess. But who knows? Maybe something else comes along...if...I mean, when, we catch Sirius, who knows what will happen..."

Both Buffy and Remus were unaware that a large, big, black dog was watching them from the shadows. As soon as they were out of sight, the dog transformed into Sirius Black - a Sirius Black under disguise, wearing a large, long black, frayed muggle coat and a hat that kept his eyes and face from being seen, before slipping inside Gringotts. No one paid him any notice.

"Hello," he told the Goblin with a low, scratchy voice. "I got a letter about some documents I needed to fill out to get access to my inheritance."

The Goblin cast a quick look at his face, hidden in the shadows cast by the hat.

"Ah. Mr. Black," the Goblin said with a toothy grin. "We were just wondering when you'd show up." He snapped his fingers and some documents and a quill appeared.

"Just sign here, and that will be all."

Sirius nodded, and quickly scratched out his signature on the line the Goblin had pointed at, with a shaky hand.

The Goblin snapped his fingers again.

"Everything you inherited has now been transferred to your vault. It was a pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Black."

Sirius nodded shortly, before pulling down the hat even lower over his head, and walked out again, head bowed. As he slipped into the shadows, he quickly transformed back into a dog, and then took off, down the alley, the opposite direction of the way Buffy and Remus had taken.

_'Buffy Summers and Remus Lupin,'_ he thought to himself, tongue hanging out of his mouth. _'I never thought I'd ever see those two again...'_ If he could, the dog would have smirked. _'And they're hunting for me...interesting...'_

* * *

"Good afternoon," Ollivander said, stepping out from the gloomy shadows of the shop, his pale eyes shining, just as usual. Sarah and Phoebe jumped in surprise, while Remus and Buffy just turned to face the old shop owner calmly.

"Good day, Mr. Ollivander," Remus said. "I'm - "

" - You're having trouble with your wand," Ollivander finished.

"How did he know that?" Sarah hissed to Phoebe, who just shrugged.

"It is no longer a match for you."

Remus blinked. "There's nothing wrong with the match. It's just a little bent and works a little wonky because of it."

"Ah...but are you sure that is the only reason it doesn't work as well as it used to, Mr. Lupin?"

"Umm...yes. Pretty sure. Why wouldn't it?"

Instead of directly answering, Ollivander switched the subject. "I remember every wand I've ever made and ever sold, Mr. Lupin." He turned to Buffy. "Holly, ten inches. A very unusual combination; the second wand I've made with a hair from a werewolf. It works fine, yes?"

"Umm...yes," Buffy said.

"Yours was even more special, Mr Lupin. The first of its kind. Not only because it was the first wand with a hair from a werewolf - you - but also because you were the first werewolf in centuries that bought his wand legally."

"Right. But why won't my wand work as well for me anymore? I mean, if you fix the damage on it, shouldn't that be enough?" Remus asked, frowning.

"Well, yes, it would be enough to fix the wand...but not you."

Remus blinked.

"Huh?"

"Tell me, when did your wand have its accident?"

"He talks about it like it's a person," Sarah snickered quietly in Phoebe's ear.

"Several years ago," Remus said slowly, having trouble to see what this were leading to.

"And after that happened, did you stop using magic?" Ollivander asked mildly.

"Of course not!"

"I didn't think so. But did you use more or less wand-magic than before?"

Remus blinked. He'd never really thought about it...but after the wand was damaged, he had used it less, and started to learn wandless magic instead, in case the wand had another 'accident' and was irreparably damaged.

"Less."

"What did you use instead."

"Wandless. Wiccan magic."

Ollivander started to smile. "And therein lies the problem - or rather the solution. When you started to use wandless magic, your magic changed to fit the new style better, as you used it more often. It grew stronger, wilder, not compressed and channeled as it was before, to give you the best result with a wand. What many wizards and witches don't realize is that a wand is not only a help. Wandless magic is stronger than wand-magic because it is free. And magic is not tamable. We can form it into what we want it to be. But we do not control it. The wand lies, that way. It makes us think we are in control, but we aren't. Wandless magic is harder - as there are no instrument to help the user to form the magic."

Ollivander took Remus old wand in his hand, and started to stroke it with a thin finger. Buffy, Remus, Sarah and Phoebe watched in fascination as the earlier crooked wand started to right itself. "And as such, when you stopped using your wand - or at least used it less than before - your magic grew. And because of that, your wand does no longer match your magical ability, Mr. Lupin. Shortly said, you have outgrown your wand. Try it. Give it a wave."

Ollivander gave back the wand to Remus, who gave it a wave. He remembered very well when he'd gotten his wand. The silver and white fireworks that had flown out of the tip had had him in transfixed. Now however, there were no fireworks, only six sparks that went out just as quick as they got there.

"Try a spell."

Remus pointed his wand at a box.

"Wingardium Leviosa."

Although the box lifted with no problem, Remus found he felt nothing. Nothing of the thrill he used to get whenever he'd used his wand before - nothing like the thrill he felt when using wandless magic.

"Do you understand now, Mr. Lupin?"

"Yes. Only one question - if wand magic is not as powerful - if it is not as effective as wandless - why does not everyone do magic without a wand?"

"It is not less effective, Mr. Lupin. Only less powerful. Although wand-magic can be just as destructive..."

Buffy shuddered. Voldemort.

"...But once upon a time, people had no wands. But soon, the magical users realized it was difficult. Too difficult for everyone who should have been able to use it to learn. Too time consuming. Not many had the patience to learn. So when people discovered you could use different things to channel it, which made it easier to use - they quickly abandoned their old ways. They started to use different staffs, and sticks, of different materials, and realized that wood was best. Or rather, easier. Only a few refused to let go of the old ways. But they were not many, and when they died, so did the old magic. That is the same reason few use wandless magic today. It's too difficult. Too time consuming to learn. And why do without a wand what you can do just as well and easier with one? Many are even so ignorant that they don't think it is possible. Mostly purebloods. Half-bloods and muggle-borns are more open-minded. It is actually just now that wandless magic are starting to come back. And through 'muggles' - 'wiccans' - at that. And the few that do use it today, only do it sometimes, because the results are too unfocused. Unpredictable. This is because they've used a wand for too long. I suppose your wandless magic - when it came to normal spells that you'd normally do with a wand - not fireballs and such," Ollivander said with a slight smile, " - were unfocused too."

Ollivander gave Remus a look over. "Now, for your new wand - it will have to be custom made, of course... You are mated, yes?"

"Y-yes," Buffy said, startled.

"I see. Well...may I have a hair, from each of you? And maybe one each from the children as well?"

"Sure," Remus said, quickly pulling out a hair. Buffy, Sarah and Phoebe did the same.

"Excellent. I think this will be a very powerful wand...the combination of a hair from a mated Slayer and werewolf and their children...yes, a very powerful core it will be... Now...as for wood...please, look over these."

He nodded towards a workbench in the corner, where many different woods were laying.

"Tell me which one - or ones - that you feel...a connection to."

"That one," Remus said, after several moments, pointing at a dark, black wand, with hues of dark red, that seemed to live a life of its own; sometimes, it seemed as if it switched color to a dark brown and sometimes even a dark gold.

"Ah - A mixture of Ebony and Mahogany - a powerful combination...but a correct one. For powerful magic that will want to unleash itself when used with a wand, you will need powerful woods... " He gave Remus another look over.

"It will be an even more powerful wand than I thought...I think...yes..." He took forwards a bowl with a silver liquid, and dipped the hairs into it. "Pure, melted silver. With that around your core, you will never loose your way. It will keep the power under wraps and give the wand extra stability. Because without it, it would be impossible to use. The combination of the core and that wood...it would be too powerful. And as the silver will not be on the surface of the wand, but inside it, you do not have to worry it will poison you. And even if it would slip through the wood, which it won't - see - it has already frozen - "

And it had. The hairs, which had been soft, were now hard, but fragile looking, the silver around having frozen down under a wandless cooling spell cast by Ollivander.

" - and the wood is too strong for that to happen - it won't harm you, unless you have an open wound for it to slip into. As you most certainly know, silver is only poisonous and deadly to werewolf's when in contact with their bloodstream."

The Summers-Lupin family watched in fascination as Ollivander created Remus' wand, making the core enter and seemingly melt into the wood in a fascinating way. Finally, the wand was finished.

"The most unique wand I've ever created. Eleven inches. Hair of a mated Slayer and a werewolf and their offspring...dipped in silver. Wood of Mahogany and Ebony. Yes...very unique. And I expect yours to be just as - or even more - special, if you ever start using wandless magic and your power is released and grows, just as Mr. Lupin's," he told Buffy. "The power of a Slayer...yes...a very powerful wand that would be...the one you have now is powerful, yes...but far from what it could be, should you ever grow into your magical ability completely."

As they finally got back to the Leaky Cauldron, after much more shopping, the pub was bustling more than when they left. Most noticeable was a crowd of red-heads on the way towards the parlor - the Weasleys. And in the middle of them was...an unmistakable mess of black hair.

Remus and Buffy paled in shock. Harry... As if he could see someone was looking at him, Harry turned around, and both Buffy and Remus had to hold back a gasp as they got sight of those brilliant green eyes. It was no doubt. It was Harry Potter, the only son of James and Lily. Buffy opened her mouth to say something, but no sound came out. And before she had time to collect herself, the moment was gone: Harry was ushered in by a tall and lanky red-head, and the door slammed closed. Soon, laughter were heard from inside.

And Remus and Buffy stood frozen on the spot, staring at the door through which Harry had just disappeared.

Finally, Tom woke them up from their stupor by coughing.

"Uhh...your room is ready," he said. "Number ten." He gave them a large key, which Buffy accepted, still staring at the door.

"Yes, yes, of course. Thank you, Tom," she said.

"Have a nice night," Tom said, as Buffy and Remus finally stopped staring at the closed door and started to trudge up the stairs, Sarah and Phoebe walking behind them.

* * *

"What is it Harry?" Hermione asked worriedly, as the door to the parlor slammed closed behind them and they all sat down by the three tables Tom had put together. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

Fred snickered. "And he has, haven't you, Harry?"

"Yeah," George added. "Both once and twice."

"Nearly Headless Nick..."

"...The Grey Lady..."

"...Moaning Myrtle..."

"...The Fat Friar..."

"And don't forget the Bloody Baron. He can make anyone pale-looking."

"Yeah. Lee got a transparent look when he first set eye on him. Get it? Transparent!"

Both Fred and George howled with laughter.

"And," Fred said between hiccups. "Don't forget he was bleeding from that cut he got on the train."

George nodded, tears of laughter spilling down his cheeks.

"You could almost have mistaken them for...for.."

"...TWINS!" Both Fred and George chorused, and they started laughing again.

Mrs. Weasley shook her head. "Really, Fred, George...will you ever grow up? Now, Harry, dear - how are you feeling?"

"I'm fine," Harry said, shrugging. "I just...I thought I recognized them..."

"'Them' who, Harry?" Mr. Weasley asked, on edge because of the threat from Sirius Black.

"There were two people...staring at me, right before we stepped into the parlor. I could have sworn I've seen them before."

Mr. Weasley frowned, before slamming open the door to the parlor. There was no one there, except Tom behind the bar and other guests sitting around various tables.

"Well, whoever they were, they're gone now," Mr. Weasley said, closing the door again. "Let's just enjoy our dinner, alright?"

"Yeah..." Harry muttered, but he was still frowning as he tucked into the treacle tart. There was something pulling at the edges of his mind. A vague memory...but one that refused to be released...

"Really, George, dessert before dinner?" Mrs. Weasley said disapprovingly, as one of the twins started to tuck into a chocolate pudding.

"I'm Fred!" Fred said, shaking his head in mock sadness. "Really, mother..."

Ron snickered.

"Anyway, how're we getting to King's Cross tomorrow, Dad...?"

* * *

** A/N:** Sorry for the long wait, guys! But if you've read my LJ, you know that has been screw-uppy for the past two weeks, making it impossible for me to update. One second, it works fine, and the next...zilch. Nothing. Nada. The site is dead. Really annoying. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this, and a little bonus info can be found at my LJ concerning silver and werewolves. Please REVIEW!

/Ida

* * *


	4. We won't fail

**Come What May**

Chapter 4 – We won't fail.

DISCLAIMER: Buffy the Vampire Slayer belongs to Joss Whedon, and Harry Potter to J.K. Rowling. I don't own anything…

RATING: PG-13 (T) to R (M) - violence, language, angst, horror, possible mild sexual interactions, etc. If you can watch BTVS/AtS and read HP, I doubt you'll have any problem with this story.

TIMELINE: AU. Part 4 in the OOTB-series. Takes place during the Prisoner of Azkaban, the Goblet of Fire and includes missing moments from the Order of the Phoenix. It begins at Hogwarts, wizarding time, and then as it switches to Sunnydale time, we jump to where the epilogue to "Never the Same" (Part 3) left off.

SUMMARY: BTVS/HP crossover. When Dumbledore arrives at Buffy's and Remus' doorstep, they are both very surprised, but agree to come back with him to the wizarding world and protect Harry Potter from Sirius Black, the man responsible for the murders of Peter Pettigrew and Harry's parents. Sirius has somehow managed to escape prison, out for revenge...but so is Buffy and Remus. How will all this mess end?

PAIRING: Buffy/Remus

**Special Thanks to:** **My Beta -** CharmedChick

* * *

The next morning, when they woke up and made their way down to the pub, Remus and Buffy looked around, desperately trying to get another glimpse of Harry. As if realizing what - or rather who - they were looking for, Tom said:

"The Weasley's aren't up yet. If I know them right, they'll be late, as usual, but somehow manage to get on the train in time anyway. That's the Weasleys. Always late, but never too late."

Remus and Buffy gave him a disappointed look. "Well, hopefully we'll see him - I mean, them - on the Express, then," Buffy said, sighing.

Tom just gave them both a knowing look.

* * *

As they arrived at King Cross' station, there were many muggles walking around, but no sign of anything remotely magic.

"I suppose we're early," Remus muttered, looking up at the signs over his head. 1...2...3...4...5...

"Daddy," Phoebe said, "where are we going?"

"To Platform nine-and-three-quarters," Remus mumbled absently, still following the signs. ...6...7...8...9... He stopped. "We're here."

Sarah wrinkled her nose. "It's a brick wall. Mum, is dad not feeling well again?"

Buffy snorted. "I'm sure he's fine."

Remus gave them a mock-glare. "Are you making fun of your good ol' dad, Sarah?"

Sarah grinned. "Nope. I'm not making fun of my old dad. I'm making fun of my only dad."

Remus grinned back. "Good to know. So...no gray hairs yet, then?"

"Well," Sarah cocked her head to the side. "Just a few."

Remus put his hand to his chest and pretended to faint in horror. "Oh, no! Whatever shall I do?"

Phoebe giggled, while Buffy put her arm around Remus' shoulder. "I think his few gray slash silver hairs makes him look very regal," she said, giving him a quick kiss on the lips. "Very handsome. Don't you agree, girls?"

"Yuck..." Phoebe muttered while Sarah put her fingers in her mouth and pretended to throw up in disgust.

Buffy and Remus snorted. "Be affectionate in public...get's them every time...," Remus mumbled in his wife's ear. Buffy grinned.

"Alright, kids. Who's the bravest of you two?"

Sarah's hand immediately shot up.

"Okay," Remus clasped his hands together. "The only thing you have to do to prove it, is to run straight through there," he said, and pointed at the brick wall between platform nine and ten.

Sarah gawked. "Are you serious?" She turned to Buffy. "Mum...Dad is loosing his mind."

Buffy laughed. "No, he isn't. Trust us, honey. Just go ahead."

Sarah looked doubtful. "Okay...but if I end up in the hospital, it's your fault," she warned, before she closed her eyes and ran straight ahead, her eyes closed all the way...she ran...she felt a slight brush of air against her face...and SMACK!

"OUCH!" Sarah howled. "MUM, DAD, I TOLD YOU!" She opened her eyes, massaging her head...and was met by...red. In shock, Sarah stumbled backwards, because what she had run into was not a brick wall, but rather a large, scarlet steam locomotive. A sign overhead said Hogwarts Express, eleven o'clock. "What the..."

What followed was a long rant of unmentionable words that would have had Sirius Black blushing. (Words she never would have heard had she not been baby-sat by Spike one or two times too many...) Suddenly, she felt someone knocking on her shoulder.

"Hey, sweetie."

Sarah turned around, and came face to face with her mum and Phoebe. Behind them was a wrought-iron archway where the barrier had been, through which Remus appeared, holding Phoebe in the hand, both looking quite relaxed.

"Hey, what's with the bump?" Remus asked. Buffy pulled out her wand, and performed a quick healing spell on Sarah's forehead.

"Uh...I might have run too far...I wasn't watching were I was running," Sarah muttered, looking down at the ground.

Her parents smirked. "Yeah. That happens."

"You crashed with the train?" Phoebe asked with big eyes.

"Not with the train, honey," Remus corrected automatically. "Crashed into the train."

"So what?" Sarah looked slightly annoyed at her sister.

"Girls, no fighting," Buffy reprimanded. "Now, let's board it. We're still very early, no one's even here yet, so you can pick the compartment you want."

Bad mood forgotten, Sarah's face split into a grin, and she grabbed Phoebe's hand. "YAY! Come on, Phoebs."

Remus and Buffy followed them slowly, chuckling.

"I want this one," Sarah finally said, walking into the very last compartment, after having walked up and down through the train more than three times. "It's in the back. The roller-coasters is always faster if you sit in the back. Is it the same for the train?"

"I don't know, I've never really thought about it. But we can at least be certain we won't be disturbed," Remus said, sitting down closest to the window, after putting up his battered case on the luggage track. "If you don't mind, I think I'm going to sleep for awhile."

"Oh, good idea," Buffy said, looking at her watch. "It's a long ride, girls," she said, sitting down beside Remus and leaning against his shoulder.

Sarah pouted. "You're so boring," she complained.

"You can buy candy when the food-cart gets here," Remus promised, putting some Galleons in his oldest daughter's hand."I bet they have lots of chocolate," he hinted, making Sarah lit up.

"Okay. I guess that's alright then. Phoebe, do you want to play thumb-wars?"

Phoebe shrugged. "Okay."

Sarah frowned. "To play thumb-wars, you actually need a thumb, so take it out of your mouth."

"I can use my other one," Phoebe mumbled, holding up her left hand.

"It's your left thumb," Sarah said patiently. "It's harder to do with your left."

"Okay then." Phoebe pulled out her right thumb, and replaced it with her left instead.

Sarah sighed. "Okay. Could you...you know...dry it off...it has drool on it."

Phoebe did as she was told. And a furious thumb-war began.

* * *

Harry, Ron and Hermione set off down the corridor, looking for an empty compartment, but all seemed to be full. The train had already started to move.

"Why are we always late?" Hermione complained. "Now we might have to share with Lavender and Parvati."

"Well, as long as it's not the Slytherin's, I don't really care," Ron said, shrugging.

As they got to the end of the train, they stopped. "Well, looks like the end of the line," Harry said, and was about to turn back around, when he heard giggling coming from the right compartment, and he looked inside. There, two small girls were sitting, playing what looked like some kind of wrestling match with their thumbs. In the corner, by the window, there were two adults, seemingly sleeping.

One of the girls, the oldest, suddenly looked up, and gave them a smile as she noticed them. "Hello. I'm Sarah, who are you?"

Harry, Ron and Hermione stood gawking at the compartment's occupants, neither saying a word.

Sarah frowned. "My dad says it's rude to not answer when you're asked a question, unless the answer is a big secret. Are you rude?"

Hermione suddenly snapped out of her stupor. "N-no," she stammered. "We were just surprised. We thought the train was reserved for students...how old are you?"

"I'm nine, and that's my sister, Phoebe. She's five. But you still haven't answered my question." Sarah said patiently.

"Oh, right," Hermione stepped into the compartment sitting down beside the girl. "I'm Hermione, and this is Harry and Ron." She nodded at the two boys, who followed her inside, Ron looking slightly hesitant. Harry, however, was transfixed at the two adults by the window.

"Who are they?" He asked.

"Oh, that's my parents," Sarah explained. "My mum's name is Buffy, and my dad's name is - "

" - Professor R.J. Lupin..." Hermione mumbled, seeming fixated at a spot above their heads.

"How d'you know that?" Ron asked, sounding awed.

"It's on his case," Hermione and Phoebe replied, at the same time. The two girls looked at each other, Phoebe blushing as Hermione smiled at her.

"Wonder what he teaches?" said Ron, frowning at Professor Lupin's profile.

"That's obvious," Hermione whispered. "There's only one vacancy, isn't there? Defense Against the Dark Arts."

"Well, I hope he's up to it," said Ron doubtfully. "He looks like one good hex would finish him off, doesn't he? "

"Hey!" Sarah protested. "That's our dad you're talking about!"

Ron blushed. "Oh. Right. Sorry."

"Our dad is the coolest dad in the world," Sarah said, eyes shooting lightning. "You should see him perform magic - it's awesome. And he's really strong! And fast! And he can cook! And he's super smart! And - "

"Alright, alright, we get the hint," Ron said, slightly annoyed at the pig-tailed girl. "He's wicked. Sorry. But he does look a bit ill."

"Well, that's just because he's - OUCH!" Sarah turned to Phoebe, who had pinched her, hard. "What did you do that for?"

Sarah's little sister just gave her a long glare, looking quite a bit like both Buffy and Remus when angry. "We shouldn't be talking so much," she said slowly, for once not sucking on her thumb.

Sarah's eyes widened. "Oh," she said meekly.

She gave the trio an apologetic look. "Sorry. My mouth runs away with me sometimes."

"That's alright," Harry said absently. He was still staring at Buffy and Remus. He recognized them now. It had been those two he'd seen at the Leaky Cauldron, last night. He wondered if they could be trusted...they had been watching him... Harry decided he should keep an eye out.

"Anyway, what were you going to tell us, Harry?" Hermione said with a no-nonsense kind of voice.

"Uh, never mind. I'll tell you later," Harry muttered, finally tearing his eyes from the two adults to give the children a pointed look.

"Hey, we can keep a secret," Sarah pouted, realizing what that look meant.

"Eh...I'm sure you can," Harry said with a slight smile, but said nothing more. Somehow, he had a feeling that Mr. Weasley's warning about how the mass murderer Sirius Black seemed to be out to get him was not anything for children's ears.

Sarah frowned, but said nothing else.

The ride continued for awhile, under mostly silence. "Do you know when the food cart gets here?" Sarah wondered suddenly. "Dad said I could buy some candy..."

"I think it gets here around one o'clock," Hermione said, looking down at her wrist-watch. "Where are you going to live, by the way? At the castle?"

"Uh-hu. But we have another house too. It's really cool - it's in this place called Hogsmeade and it's all old and - OUCH!" Phoebe had pinched her again.

"And...what?" Ron wondered.

"Never mind," Sarah mumbled, rubbing her arm. For being five, Phoebe sure had a mean pinch.

"What's that noise?" Ron said suddenly, as a faint, tiny sort of whistle was coming from somewhere.

"It's coming from your trunk, Harry," said Ron standing up and reaching into the luggage rack. A moment later he had pulled the Pocket Sneakscope out from between Harry's robes.

It was spinning very fast in the palm of Ron's hand and glowing brilliantly.

"Is that a Sneakscope?" said Hermione interestedly, standing up for a better look. Sarah and Phoebe did the same.

* * *

Remus stirred as an annoying sort of noise seemed to be ringing in his ears. He could feel Buffy was starting to wake up too. He inwardly groaned. He needed more sleep!

"Is that a Sneakscope?" someone said interestedly.

"Yeah... mind you, it's a very cheap one," someone else said. "It went haywire just as I was tying it to Errol's leg to send it to Harry."

Wait a moment...Harry? Remus stiffened and he was suddenly wide awake. From the feel of it, so was Buffy. But they still didn't open their eyes.

"Were you doing anything untrustworthy at the time?" said the girl who'd spoken first shrewdly.

"No! Well . . . I wasn't suppose to be using Errol. You know he's not really up to long journeys . . . but how else was I supposed to get Harry's present to him?"

"Stick it back in the trunk," someone...Harry - he sounded so much like James - advised as the Sneakscope whistled piercingly, "or it'll wake them up."

Remus could hear someone move around, and then...

"We could get it checked in Hogsmeade. They sell that sort of thing in Dervish and Banges, magical instruments and stuff. Fred and George told me."

"Do you know much about Hogsmeade?" asked the girl keenly. "I've read it's the only entirely non-Muggle settlement in Britain - "

Remus was just about to doze off again. He was really tired...

"Yeah, I think it is. But that's not why I want to go. I just want to get inside Honeydukes!"

"What's that?" said Hermione.

"It's a sweetshop."

Remus inwardly groaned again. Did they have to start talk about Honeydukes? Now he'd never be able to sleep...God, he needed chocolate... He could feel Buffy shaking with laughter against him, probably knowing what he was thinking.

" - Where they've got everything...Pepper Imps - they make you smoke at the mouth - and great fat Chocolate full of strawberry mousse and clotted cream, and really excellent sugar quills, which you can suck in class and just look like you're thinking what to write next - "

" - But Hogsmead's a very interesting place, isn't it? In _Sites of Historical Sorcery_ it says the inn was the headquarters for the 1612 goblin rebellion, and the Shrieking Shack's supposed to be the most severely haunted building in Britain - "

" - and massive sherbet balls that make you levitate a few inches off the ground while you're sucking on them."

Remus almost snorted out loud this time. It was obvious the girl was being ignored. She seemed a bit like a bookworm.

"Won't it be nice to get out of school for a bit and explore Hogsmeade?"

"'Spect it will," said Harry heavily. "You'll have to tell me when you've found out."

"What'd you mean?"

"I can't go. The Dursleys didn't sign my permission form, and Fudge wouldn't either."

"You're not allowed to come? But...no way...McGonagall or someone will give you permission - "

Harry gave a hollow laugh. Remus didn't blame him. The chance of that happening was a million to one.

" - or we can ask Fred and George, they know every secret passage out of the castle - "

'Bad idea. With Sirius on the loose...'

"Ron!" said the girl sharply. _'So that'__s what he was called...'_ "I don't think Harry should be sneaking out of school. It's against the rules!"

"Don't let that thing out!" Ron suddenly said.

'What's going on?'

"Oh, what a cute cat!" Sarah cooed. ,

'Oh. So that's what's going on.'

"Cute?" Ron said incredulously. "He's a monster. Get out of here!"

"Ron, don't!" said the girl angrily.

Remus decided it was time to interfere - he had no interest in hearing the group fight. He moved slightly, turning his head away from the window, so it was leaning on the top of Buffy's head instead, mouth agape.

He could hear Phoebe giggle. '_Yeah. Laugh at your dad. I probably look funny.' _Now, he regretted opening his mouth. He probably looked idiotic.

Some time later, around one, the door opened and a plump witch with a food cart arrived.

"Oh, candy!" Sarah said excitedly, jumping up. "I want chocolate - all kinds - for this," she said, giving the gawking witch her very large handful of Galleons.

"F-for all of that? That's a lot of money, dear..."

"So? I like chocolate!"

'So do I.'

"W-well, alright then."

"D'you think we should wake them up?" Ron asked awkwardly. "Especially him - he looks like he could do with some food."

'I resent that!' Remus could feel Buffy doing her best to contain her laughter. _'Glad someone finds it funny...'_

Remus could feel Buffy doing her best to contain her laughter. 

Remus could hear and feel someone move towards him.

"Er - Professor?" the girl said. "Excuse me...Professor?"

'Should I 'wake up?' Chocolate now or later? I want chocolate!' Remus had almost decided to 'wake up' when the witch with the cart made the decision for him.

"Don't worry, dear," she said. "If he's hungry when he wakes, I'll be up front with the driver."

"Oh, don't expect him to show up," Remus could hear Sarah say. "After all, I bought all the chocolate - he wouldn't see any reason to go there."

"I suppose, he is asleep?" Ron said quietly as the witch slid the compartment door closed. "I mean - he hasn't died, has he?"

Now Remus felt really put out. '_I'm not that ill-looking...'_

Sarah snorted, as did Phoebe. "No! He's just a quiet sleeper. It's strange really, usually, he wakes up real easy. Mum too. They must be really tired."

"Well, maybe he is dead then!" Ron exclaimed.

'Oh, for Merlin's sake...'

"No, no, he's breathing," whispered the girl.

'I had no idea.' Remus thought sarcastically to himself. Honestly...

The ride continued, and Remus did his best to ignore the sounds of candy-paper and the smell of chocolate that was invading his senses, and go back to sleep, but it was easier said than done. After awhile, Buffy, at least, fell asleep again.

It started to rain, and Remus was feeling bored. He was seriously considering 'waking up', when suddenly, there were footsteps in the corridor, and the compartment door slammed open.

"Well, look who it is," someone - in a rather familiar drawl - said. "Potty and the Weasel."

Remus had a feeling he would not like teaching whoever the visitor was.

Someone - or someones - chuckled.

"I heard your father finally got his hands on some gold this summer, Weasley," the drawling voice said. "Did your mother die of shock?"

There was the sound of someone - probably Ron - standing up quickly.

Remus frowned inwardly. _'That was low.' _He had a feeling he knew who's son was at the door...

"Hey!" Sarah said. "That's mean!"

'Don't draw attention to yourself, Sarah...'

"Who are you?" The boy sneered.

"I don't give my name to strangers," Sarah said snobbishly."Especially when they're ugly."

'Oh, this is just great...'

"Watch it, kid," the boy growled. "You don't know who you're dealing with."

Remus heard someone stand up. "Oh, yeah?" Sarah said in a challenging tone of voice. "I think I do. I think I'm dealing with a small, scared little boy who runs to mommy whenever things gets rough, but pretends to be all big and bad."

'Sarah...sit down...' Remus thought. He could hear Ron howling with laughter.

"How dare you?" The boy growled angrily.

"Sarah," Phoebe said meekly. "Please, sit down..."

'Good girl.'

"No," Sarah said stubbornly. "Guess what? My mum can kick your ass literally in a minute. My dad can do things to you with magic that you can never even dream of. We've lived on a He - "

'Time to interfere again...' Remus let out a loud snort. He really felt ridiculous right now. Why didn't he just wake up and give the brat a detention?

"Who's that?" The brat in question said fearfully.

'Guess Sarah's description was quite accurate.'

"New teacher," Harry said. "What were you saying, Malfoy?"

'Ah. A Malfoy. So I was right.'

"C'mon," Malfoy muttered resentfully to someone - or someones - probably his 'followers', and Remus heard the door close.

"I'm not going to take any crap from Malfoy this year," Ron said angrily. "I mean it. If he makes one more crack about my family, I'm going to get hold of his head and - "

"Ron," hissed the girl. "Be careful..."

"Never mind him," Sarah said. "If my parents aren't awake after all this, they won't until we're at the station."

"All right..." the girl said hesitantly. "Eh...Sarah? You shouldn't enrage Malfoy like that..."

"Why not? He was rude!"

"But now he won't leave you or your sister alone," Remus heard Harry said.

'Oh, if Malfoy dares anything, I'll rip his throat out, student or not.'

"I don't care," Sarah said stubbornly. "I can take him. And my parent's won't let him do anything."

'Very true. But it still wasn't very smart.'

"That's the spirit," Ron said, while the girl sighed.

The rain thickened as the train sped yet farther north; outside, it was getting dark, and lanterns flickered to life all along the corridors and over the luggage racks. The train rattled, the rain hammered, the wind roared, but still, the both professors seemingly slept on.

"We must be nearly there," said Ron, leaning forward to look at the now completely black window. The train started to slow down, and Remus inwardly frowned.

'We can't be there yet...'

"Great," said Ron. "I'm starving. I want to get to the feast..."

"We can't be there yet," the girl said.

'You read my mind, whoever you are...'

"So, why're we stopping?"

The train was getting slower and slower. As the noise of the pistons fell away, the wind and rain sounded louder than ever against the windows. Remus was starting to have a bad feeling... He could hear someone get up. Suddenly, the train came to a stop with a jolt, and distant thuds and bangs told Remus that luggage had fallen out of the racks.

Then, without warning, all the lamps went out and were plunged into total darkness. Remus opened his eyes, and he could feel Buffy move, sitting up. They both had next to no problem seeing the dark, although Buffy's sight was slightly better right now, considering there were still several days before the full-moon, around which Remus' senses would be on high-alert.

"What's going on?" said Ron's voice.

"Ouch!" gasped the girl. "Ron, that was my foot!"

"D'you think we've broken down?" Harry asked.

"Dunno . . ."

There was a squeaking sound. "There's something moving out there," Ron said. "I think people are coming aboard . . . "

The compartment door suddenly opened.

"Sorry - d'you know what's going on? - Ouch - sorry - "

"Hullo, Neville," said Harry, and Buffy and Remus gave each other a look, knowing very well they were the only one who could see, even though details were hard to spot. Harry was pulling Neville up by his cloak. Neville...son of Frank and Alice Longbottom. There were clear resemblances there... Remus wondered how many children there were at Hogwarts, that had had parent's that they knew, or at least recognized the name of. This far, there had been Weasley, Longbottom, Malfoy, and of course, Potter...

"Harry? Is that you? What's happening?"

"No idea - sit down - "

There was a loud hissing and a yelp of pain; Neville had tried to sit on the cat.

"I'm going to go and ask the driver what's going on," came the girl's voice. Remus could now see she had very curly hair. The door slid open again, and then there was a thud and two loud squeals of pain.

"Who's that?"

"Who's that?"

"Ginny?"

"Hermione?"

Remus supposed that was the girl's name.

"What are you doing?"

"I was looking for Ron - "

"Come in and sit down - "

"Not here!" said Harry. "I'm here!"

If the situation hadn't been so grave, both Remus and Buffy would have laughed.

"Ouch!" said Neville.

"Quiet!" said Remus, voice hoarse after being silent for so long.He concentrated slightly, and a handful of flames appeared in his hand, making a shivering light fill the compartment. "Stay where you are," he said in the same hoarse voice, and he got slowly to his feet with his handful of fire held out in front of him.

"Daddy...mummy, I'm scared," Phoebe whimpered, and Buffy quickly walked over to them, hugging them to her tightly with one arm. The other, she used to pull out her wand in case it would be needed. "Shh...it's okay," Buffy said, her voice soothing, her blue-green eyes never leaving Remus' who was moving towards the door, which was now opening.

Standing in the doorway, illuminated by the shivering flames in Lupin's hand, was a cloaked figure that towered to the ceiling. Its face was completely hidden beneath its hood. Buffy paled as she realized what was standing there...a Dementor. She heard Phoebe and Sarah whimper again, and move even closer. Suddenly, Buffy saw Harry fall off his seat to the floor, twitching. Buffy wanted to walk over to him, so badly, but she needed to take care of her children...

Remus stepped over Harry, carefully, as not to step on him, moving towards the Dementor with determined steps while pulling out his new wand.

"None of us is hiding Sirius Black under our cloaks. Go."

The demon didn't react and Remus felt his eyes narrow.

"Expecto Patronum, he muttered, careful as to not put too much power in the spell...a cloud of silver, without a real form shot out of the tip, and the Dementor turned around and glided away. Remus turned back around and immediately, he felt two bodies slam into him, hugging him tightly: Sarah and Phoebe. Buffy came over also, more slowly.

The lights came back on, and they could see Harry's friends trying to wake him up.

"Are you okay?" Remus muttered.

"I'm fine," Buffy said, voice slightly shaky. "Are you? You were awfully near that thing..."

"I'm fine. Are you okay?" He gave Sarah and Phoebe a grave look, and they both shuddered.

"D-daddy, that t-thing was awful," Sarah said, her teeth clattering. Phoebe looked pale and sweaty, and seemed to have lost her ability to speak as she clung to Remus' desperately.

"You'll be fine. Just promise me, you'll stay away, far away, run even, if you see one of them again," Remus said, picking up a large chocolate bar from the table.

"No problem," Sarah said.

"Good." Remus snapped the bar into pieces, giving one each to Sarah, Phoebe and Buffy. He then turned to Harry and his friends. Now, up close, Harry looked even more like James and Lily than he could ever have imagined... he swallowed.

"Here," he said to Harry, handing him a particularly large piece. "Eat it. It'll help."

Harry took the chocolate bar but didn't eat it. "What was that thing?" he asked.

"A Dementor," Remus said, giving out chocolate to everyone else. "One of the Dementors of Azkaban."

Everyone stared at him. Remus crumpled up the empty chocolate wrapper and put it in his pocket, feeling strangely choked up.

"Eat," he repeated. "It'll help. I need to speak to the driver, excuse me..." Remus suddenly felt that he needed to get away...badly. This was all too much. He strolled past Harry and disappeared into the corridor, followed quickly by his family - they didn't want to be separated right now. Buffy, Sarah and Phoebe found Remus leaning against a closed compartment door in the empty train corridor. Everyone seemed to have locked themselves inside their compartments.

"Are you okay, Rem?" Buffy put a hand on his shoulder.

"I'll be fine," Remus said, his voice slightly choked up. It's just... seeing Harry so close...Merlin, he looks so much like James and Lily it's uncanny...and then it's knowing that I'm...that we're responsible for all those children...knowing it's Sirius fault... it scares me. I'm terrified we'll fail, Buffy."

"We won't fail," Buffy said, trying to sound more certain than she felt. "I promise you, we won't fail."

"We promise too, daddy," Sarah said, hugging him. "You won't fail. You're our hero."

"Yeah," Phoebe agreed, less pale now. "You and mum always defeat the bad guys."

Remus' lips twitched. "I guess we do."

Buffy gave him a long kiss. For once, neither of the children commented, feeling it was what both their parents needed.

"Ready to go back?"

Remus nodded. "Yeah. I need to send an owl though, to tell Dumbledore what happened..." He carefully knocked on a compartment door, which opened slowly, and a pretty Asian girl wearing a Ravenclaw uniform stuck out her head, looking at him nervously. "Can I help you?"

"Yes, you can actually," Remus said, smile slightly tense. "My name is Remus Lupin, and I'm the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. Do you happen to have an owl I can borrow? I need to send a message to the Headmaster about what happened."

The girl nodded, and opened the door wide enough for Remus to slip through. "Of course. Ummm...that thing that stepped onto the train...it was a Dementor, wasn't it?"

Remus, who was busy writing a note, looked up. "Yes. How did you know?"

The girl grinned a little, showing off a line of perfectly white teeth. "I'm a Ravenclaw - I read a lot. I'm Cho, by the way. And that's Marietta Edgecombe."

Remus nodded slightly at the other girl in the compartment who was looking at him with wide eyes.

"Nice to meet you." He quickly tied the note to the leg of Cho's owl, and it flew out of the window, which Remus opened with a quick 'Alohomora.' He smiled. "I look forward to seeing you both in class." He left their compartment, closing the door behind him, and met Buffy's eyes.

"Everything went okay?"

"Yes. Well, I should probably go talk to the driver..."

"Rem," Buffy said gently. "Please don't worry so much. I'm sure someone already has. You don't have to feel like everything is up to you."

"Isn't it?"

"No. It really isn't. Of course we need to protect the other students, and you did. Our main concern here is Harry. And you protected him too. He's fine. You did your duty. Please, let's just relax for the rest of the ride."

"Fine," Remus relented, shoulders sagging. He was actually feeling quite relieved, and as he got back to the compartment, he smiled at Harry, who still hadn't touched the chocolate.

"I haven't poisoned that chocolate, you know..."

* * *

As the train stopped, Harry, Ron and Hermione took one carriage, and the Summers-Lupins the next. As their carriage stopped, they could see a boy, with white-blonde hair, stand and taunt Harry and Ron. They heard every word.

"You fainted, Potter? Is Longbottom telling the truth? You actually fainted?"

"Shove off, Malfoy," said Ron, whose jaw was clenched.

"Did you faint as well, Weasley?" said Malfoy loudly. "Did the scary old dementor frighten you too, Weasley?"

Remus felt annoyed. He had a feeling the Malfoy boy would be a problem...no big surprise though, considering who his father was...

"Is there a problem?" Remus said, forcing himself to keep his voice mild and calm, as he stepped out of the carriage, Buffy and the kids following.

Malfoy gave him an insolent stare, which took in his appearance, from his battered suitcase, to his rather shabby robe - which, while it was comfortable, maybe didn't give off the best impression - and tired face.

With a tiny hint of sarcasm in his voice, he said, "Oh, no - er - Professor," he smirked at his two friends, when he suddenly got sight of Buffy, standing behind him. Apparently, he must have dismissed her on the train, but now out in the open... Remus did not like the look Malfoy gave his wife at all. He was looking at her like she was a prize to be won, up and down, and his eyes narrowed dangerously as he did his best to keep back a growl.

Buffy raised an eyebrow slightly, refusing to show that Malfoy's scrutiny was bothering her. Even though it was disgusting, the way he was checking her out. Yuck. "Mr. Malfoy, I presume?"

Malfoy looked pleased. "Yes. Draco Malfoy. You've heard of me?"

"No, but I have heard of your father. I actually met him once, in Hogsmeade, several years ago...and then we've had...encounters, in other places." Her eyes narrowed. "The next time you write to him, you can say that I know he was at St. Mungos that night. He'll know what night I speak of. Tell him I look forward to meeting him again, on the battle field. Maybe next time, he'll meet me face to face and not curse me from a distance, like a coward."

Malfoy's eyes widened slightly, then narrowed into slits. He sneered, then spun around, the two big brutes following him.

Remus inwardly groaned. It seemed like both Sarah and Buffy needed a lesson in what the words 'laying low' meant...

Ron, Hermione and Harry who'd been listening gawked at the short woman, looking at her with a mixture of shock, delight and respect. As the trio walked up to the castle, they were all thinking the same thing: This year was sure going to be interesting...

* * *

**A/N: **And thus the story begins for real... I hopr you enjoyed it, and keep REVIEWING! I really love all your comments, no matter how short! (Even though I do like the long ones the best, I have to admit... -looking guilty-)

* * *


	5. For Harry

**Come What May**

Chapter 5 – For Harry.

DISCLAIMER: Buffy the Vampire Slayer belongs to Joss Whedon, and Harry Potter to J.K. Rowling. I don't own anything…

RATING: PG-13 (T) to R (M) - violence, language, angst, horror, possible mild sexual interactions, etc. If you can watch BTVS/AtS and read HP, I doubt you'll have any problem with this story.

TIMELINE: AU. Part 4 in the OOTB-series. Takes place during the Prisoner of Azkaban, the Goblet of Fire and includes missing moments from the Order of the Phoenix. It begins at Hogwarts, wizarding time, and then as it switches to Sunnydale time, we jump to where the epilogue to "Never the Same" (Part 3) left off.

SUMMARY: BTVS/HP crossover. When Dumbledore arrives at Buffy's and Remus' doorstep, they are both very surprised, but agree to come back with him to the wizarding world and protect Harry Potter from Sirius Black, the man responsible for the murders of Peter Pettigrew and Harry's parents. Sirius has somehow managed to escape prison, out for revenge...but so is Buffy and Remus. How will all this mess end?

PAIRING: Buffy/Remus

**Special Thanks to:** **My Beta -** CharmedChick

* * *

As Buffy and Remus entered the Great Hall, and sat down at the Head table with Sarah and Phoebe, they both kept a look out for Harry, but he was nowhere to be seen, neither was the bushy haired girl, Hermione. As they watched an even line of students, dressed in black robes and pointed hats, enter the Hall and sit down buy their respective tables, Buffy let out a sigh. 

"God, I've missed this place."

Remus cast her a look. "You're not the only one," he said, looking at the thousands of candles, which were hovering above the tables in mid-air.

"I can' believe it," a gruff voice said, and Buffy and Remus spun around in their seats. "Remus Lupin and Buffy Summers."

Remus lit up in a grin. "Hagrid! It's really nice to see you!"

"Same te ye," Hagrid said, grinning widely, leaning down and engulfing them both in a hug with his large arms. "It's nice to 'ave ye back."

"It's nice to be back," Buffy said, sitting back down. "Umm, these are our children, Phoebe and Sarah."

Hagrid grinned down widely at the two girls, who sat frozen in their seats, staring up at the half-giant with large eyes.

"'ello there! I 'ope ye come down an' 'ave a cuppa tea with me."

"Eh...hi," Sarah said hesitantly, for once looking rather shy.

Hagrid ruffled up their hair, before walking over to his own seat.

"I can't see Kettleburn anywhere," Remus muttered, looking around for their old Care Of Magical Creatures professor.

Buffy shrugged. "No big loss. Oh, look! There's Flitwick!" She waved heartily at the short wizard, who sat by the end of the table. The Charms-teacher promptly fell off his chair with a squeak as he got sight of them. Buffy and Remus laughed.

"Some things never change," Remus said, shaking his head, chuckling. Fltiwick was now getting to his feet, walking over to Dumbledore, who whispered something in his ear, and the small professor walked out of the Hall.

"No, they really don't," Buffy muttered, having gotten sight of a very familiar head with greasy hair, sitting a few chairs away, sneering at them. Buffy gave him an overly bright smile and a wave. The Potions master's sneer deepened, and he turned his head away. As soon as Buffy was sure he wasn't looking, she made an ugly grimace at his back, making Remus choke, desperately trying to keep down his laughter, while Sarah and Phoebe giggled. Some of the students who'd been watching the two new teachers and the two children with interest, broke out in excited chatter. It seemed as the students weren't the only one who despised the ruler of the dungeons...

Remus and Buffy looked around the staff table. Binns was soaring over his seat, seemingly oblivious to everything. Filch was muttering to himself, glaring at them both, while stroking Mrs. Norris' back protectively. Irma Pince gave Buffy and Remus a short nod, probably remembering that time Remus had punched poor Peter so hard that he flew into a bookcase. Pomona Sprout was smiling at them, winking slightly. Professor Sinistra seemed to be busy counting the stars in the ceiling and wasn't paying any attention. The Ancient Runes professor, Miles Denver, nodded at Remus, recognizing him from his classes. There were three new professors they did not recognize, who introduced themselves as Madame Hooch, the flying instructor; Irina Marks, professor in Muggle studies; and Professor Vector, who taught Arithmancy. Professor McGonagall was nowhere to be seen, neither was Poppy Pomfrey, to Remus mixed relief and disappointment.

A line of wet and shivering First years stepped inside, lead by Flitwick, who was carrying the Sorting Hat, and placed it on the chair that stood in the middle of the Hall. Buffy and Remus looked on with interest as it burst into its traditional song.

'Gryffindor was a brave ol' chap,  
that made me into a talking Cap.  
Slytherin was ambitious, cunning,  
Had his enemies fleeing, running.

Hufflepuff was loyal like no other,  
She was every student's mother.  
Ravenclaw, a smart woman, indeed,  
She always liked to study and read.

Now, dear children, sort you I will,  
Every house shall have their fill.  
But now listen to the words I sing,  
listen to the news I bring.

Blackness coming to this place,  
He is reckless, in his race.  
What will happen, I do not know,  
How could friends be shattered so?

But now, it's time to end this song,  
So please, dear students, put me on.

With that, the sorting hat fell silent. The students murmured excitedly to each other, wondering what the hat had meant with his news. Buffy and Remus was sitting pale as ghosts in their seats, both thinking the same thing. Sirius...

"When I call your name," Flitwick finally said in his squeaky voice, "please put the hat on your head and sit on the stool to be sorted. Andrews, John!"

Buffy and Remus both tuned out the sorting, giving each other uneasy looks.

"What do you think the hat meant?" Buffy asked quietly, even though she already knew.

Remus jaw was tensed as he answered. "It was a warning. Sirius is on his way here, now. Probably not caring about anything other than getting to Harry. And he mentioned us...the marauders. How we've been broken." He snorted humorlessly. "I hate all this," he muttered.

"You're not the only one," Buffy said grimly. "We will catch him, Remus. We will end this. For Harry."

Remus took a deep breath, and turned his attention to the sorting. "Yes," he mumbled. "For Harry."

* * *

It was after the sorting had ended, and when Flitwick was carrying the hat and stool out of the Hall, when Hermione and Harry entered, followed closely by McGonagall. The two set off for the Gryffindor table, both in the middle of the attention, while McGonagall walked towards the staff table, wearing an easy smile on her face. 

"Remus," she said warmly, nodding at him, then turned to Buffy. "And Miss Summers."

"It is nice to have you back."

"The same, professor."

"I'm not your professor, anymore," McGonagall corrected. "Call me Minerva."

Remus nodded in acceptance. "Of course. Minerva."

That's when the older woman got sight of the children, and she blanched in shock. Her mouth opened and closed a few times, but no sound came out. Finally, she sat down with a heavy thump in her chair, just as Dumbledore stood up.

"Welcome!" he said. "Welcome to another year at Hogwarts! I have a few things to say to you all and as one of them is very serious, I think it best to get out of the way before you become by our excellent feast..." He cleared his throat before continuing: "As you will all be aware after their search of the Hogwarts Express, our school is presently playing host to some of the Dementors of Azkaban, who are here on Ministry of Magic business."

Buffy and Remus scowled.

"They are stationed at every entrance on the grounds," Dumbledore said, "and while they are with us, I must make it plain that nobody is to leave school without permission. Dementors are not to be fooled by tricks or disguises - or even Invisibility Cloaks," he added. "It is not in the nature of the Dementor to understand pleading or excuses. I therefore warn each and every one of you to give them no reason to harm you. I look to the prefects, and our new Head Boy and Girl, to make sure that no student runs afoul of the Dementors."

Dumbledore paused and looked around the hall with a serious look. Everyone was completely still, listening with rapt attention.

"On a happier note," he continued, "I am pleased to welcome three new teachers to our ranks this year.

"First, Professor Lupin, who has kindly consented to fill the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts."

Remus stood up to the rather scattered applause, feeling quite nervous, as he waved, trying to seem more at ease than he felt. Oh, he hated attention... He couldn't help but smile, though, as he saw Harry and his friends clap wildly. He tried to ignore the loathing expression he saw on Snape's face, and the sneer he sent his way, as he sat down again.

"Professor Lupin will sometimes be away on other business," Dumbledore continued. "And during those times, his wife will fill his position. Professor Summers-Lupin may also assist her husband in some of his lessons, during demonstrations and such."

Buffy stood up, noting with a little annoyance that she got much higher applause than Remus, and was sent quite many appreciative looks from the male population, and some looks of envy, from the girls. She smiled at them, though, but sat down rather quickly.

"As to our last new appointment," Dumbledore continued as the applause for her finally died away, "Well, I'm sorry to tell you that Professor Kettleburn, our Care Of Magical Creatures teacher, retired at the end of last year in order to enjoy more time with his remaining limbs."

Remus and Buffy snorted.

"However," Dumbledore finished. "I am delighted to say that his place will be filled by none other than Rubeus Hagrid, who has agreed to take on this teaching job in addition to his game keeping duties."

Remus and Buffy gave each other stunned looks, before breaking out in high applause, grinning widely at Hagrid, who was blushing heavily.

Finally, after a long applause, Professor Dumbledore started speaking again. Buffy and Remus noted with amusement that Hagrid was wiping his eyes with the tablecloth.

"Well, I think that's everything of importance," said Dumbledore. "Let the feast begin!"

The golden plates and goblets before them filled suddenly with food and drink.

"Oh, thank you Merlin," Buffy breathed. "I'm starving."

Phoebe and Sarah looked wide-eyed at all the food.

"Go on," Remus said, while putting a steak and potatoes on his plate. "Eat."

"Can I have the chocolate cake?" Sarah begged. Remus head whipped around, and got sight of the large chocolate cake. He groaned. He wanted chocolate... He cleared his throat. "Eh...maybe after the real dinner, honey. You already had lots of chocolate on the train."

Sarah frowned. "You just want it for yourself," she pouted. Remus flushed, while Buffy snickered as she served Phoebe some of the pasta.

"I do not!" Remus tried to defend himself, knowing very well he was lying.

"Do too!" Phoebe countered.

"Do not!"

"Do too!"

"Do not!"

"Do too!"

The Professors were watching the scene in a mixture of bewilderment, shock and amusement.

"Do not!"

"Do too!"

"Do not!" Remus said, grabbing the plate with chocolate cake, moving it away from Sarah's reach. "You just shouldn't eat too many sweets in one day, and definitely not before dinner. It's not good for your stomach, or your teeth, for that matter."

Sarah glared. "You so want it for yourself."

Remus glared back. "I. Do. Not. I'm not addicted to chocolate, Sarah."

"You so are!"

"I'm so not!"

"Yes!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

"Here we go again," Buffy muttered. Professor Marks shot her a look, lips twitching. "They do that a lot, I presume."

Buffy sighed. "All the time." She looked over at her oldest daughter and husband, shaking her head. By now, they had drawn quite some audience; the entire student body was watching them. Honestly...would neither of them ever grow up?

"...No!"

"Yes!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

Buffy promptly grabbed the plate with cake, neither Remus or Sarah noticing, both too busy in their little contest. She lifted her wand. "Evanesco!"

All became quiet in the hall, and Remus and Sarah stared at her in shock, gawking.

"Y-you made the cake disappear..." Sarah mumbled, lips trembling.

"Yes," Buffy said calmly.

"You vanished my chocolate," Remus said in a mournful tone of voice.

"Yes," Buffy repeated.

Remus and Sarah cast each other a look, the turned to Buffy.

"Make it come back," Sarah demanded.

"No."

"Yes!" Remus exclaimed, standing up. "I need my daily dose of chocolate! I didn't get any on the train because I wasted it all on you! And you!" He pointed at Sarah. "And you!" He pointed at Phoebe, before turning his eyes to the Gryffindor table. "And you!" Her pointed at Hermione. "And you!" He pointed at Ron. "And you!" He pointed at Neville. "And you!" He pointed at Ginny. "And you!" He pointed at Harry.

"Too bad," Buffy said lips twitching.

"You ungrateful little..." What followed was an impressive choice of words that had Sarah desperately looking around for a pen and paper so she could write them down, while Buffy covered Phoebe's ears. The students were looking at him in shock and started to whisper excitedly. Hogwarts' newest additions all seemed to be slightly out of their minds. McGonagall sat frozen in her seat, wondering if Hell had frozen over. Where was the calm level headed Remus Lupin she knew? It seemed that while Buffy had matured over the years, Remus had reverted into a...a...child!

Finally, Remus seemed to run out of steam, and he deflated, sitting down heavily, burying his head in his hands. "I need chocolate," he mumbled. Buffy patted his shoulder comfortingly.

"Well...you always have some in your pocket, dear. Maybe you should take a look."

Remus lit up. "Oh, that's right!" He quickly rummaged around in his left robe pocket. And then his right. But no luck. "It's in my other robe," he said sorrowfully. "The one I wore at Diagon Alley."

Buffy tried her hardest not to laugh. "Oh. Well, then I'm afraid I don't know what to do."

"Maybe I can help," Phoebe said shyly, pulling out a slightly squishy chocolate frog from her pocket. "You can have this daddy."

Remus looked at Phoebe, blinking, as if he couldn't believe his ears. "Really?"

"Yeah."

Remus' face split into a grin, and as he took the frog from Phoebe's hands, he ruffled up her hair. "Thanks, Phoebs. At least someone here likes me." He placed the frog in his mouth, and his face took on the expression of pure bliss. "Ah...chocolate. Thank you, Merlin."

Buffy couldn't stop herself anymore. She burst out laughing.

* * *

"Bed time, everyone!" Dumbledore finally said, as the dinner was over. "Prefects, lead the first years to their dorms." 

Remus and Buffy (Remus now acting like his normal calm, level-headed self) watched as Ron, Hermione and Harry made their way towards the staff table, while the rest of the students left the Hall.

"Congratulations, Hagrid!" Hermione squealed as they reached the teacher's table.

"All down ter you three," said Hagrid, wiping his shining face on his napkin as he looked at them, "Can't believe it . . . great man, Dumbledore . . . came straight down to me hut after Professor Kettleburn said he'd had enough...It's what I always wanted..."

Overcome with emotion, he buried his face in his napkin, and Remus and Buffy bit their lips, trying not to laugh at the half giant.

"Well, off to bed with you three," she told the golden trio, who left, but not before looking up at Hagrid one last time, and waving at Remus and Buffy, who nodded at them.

"We should probably retire for the night as well," Remus said, standing up, and lifting down Phoebe from the high chair. "It's kind of late."

Buffy nodded. "Of course. You know, if you want to say hello and goodnight to Madame Pomfrey, I can put the kids to bed."

Remus hesitated. He did want to see the old matron...but he did not want her to smoother and fuss over him...hopefully she would be in too much shock to think about that. Finally he sighed. "Alright." He knew he couldn't not show up - Poppy would be really disappointed, and she had been a big help and confidante while he was at Hogwarts.

* * *

As he entered the empty hospital wing, he was hit by all the memories he had of this place, both good and bad. All times before and after the full moon, the marauders visiting him, all the times when he was younger and used to come here to have a shoulder to cry on when things felt too difficult... 

A gasp woke him up from his thoughts, and he looked up. Poppy Pomfrey had come out from the back room, and was staring at him, a hand covering her mouth in shock. She was a little grayer and a bit more wrinkled than he remembered, but otherwise just the same.

"Hello, Poppy," he said quietly. In two long strides, the matron had crossed the floor, and embraced him with a long, warm, motherly hug.

"Remus. I-I never... Oh, dear Merlin. I never thought I'd see you again. I-I mean...I heard young Mr. Potter mention a professor Lupin giving him chocolate when he was up here earlier but I didn't dare to get my hopes up...Oh my! So it's true then? You're back? And as a Defense Against the Dark Arts professor!"

Remus chuckled. "Yes, Poppy. I'm back."

Poppy lead him over to one of the beds. "Sit. Tell me everything. Where have you been all these years? Are you eating enough? You look awfully thin. How are you feeling? That robe needs some mending, Remus, no offense..."

Remus grinned. There was no question whether he'd tell her the truth or not. He trusted Poppy to keep his secret about where he'd been. He always had trusted her, and she had yet to betray his trust. And so he began his story.

* * *

An hour or so after midnight, Remus made his way to the Summers-Lupins quarters. He quickly undressed, did a quick cleaning spell on his teeth, and crept down under the covers in the bed he shared with Buffy. 

"Did everything go okay?" She muttered sleepily. Remus nodded.

"Yes. We had a nice, long talk. Are the kids asleep?"

Buffy chuckled. "They were out like lights as soon as they hit their pillows. It's been an eventful couple of days.

Remus smiled. "Yes...it certainly has been."

Silence.

"Rem?"

"Mhmm," he mumbled, already half-asleep.

"Should we tell Dumbledore about...about Padfoot?"

Remus stiffened. He'd completely forgot. "His dog-form? We probably should...

Silence.

"But...?" Buffy prompted.

"I don't know. A part of me tells me that it would be for the best...that if he knew, things would be a lot easier for us. But...another says we shouldn't. It's like...I don't know. It's weird. But...I have this weird feeling. It feels like betraying his trust. Like...betraying the promise we...the marauders made...when they became animagi for me. It's silly, especially since Sirius doesn't deserve anything after his betrayal...but I just can't bring myself to tell on him, anyway. If that makes sense."

Silence.

"It does."

* * *

The next day, Remus and Buffy were called to Dumbledore's office. 

"You wanted to see us?"

"Yes..." Dumbledore said slowly. "I think you would be interested to know that Sirius was in Diagon Alley at the same time as you were there with Phoebe and Sarah."

Remus' and Buffy's jaws dropped.

"W-what? How is that possible? How could we not notice him?" Buffy exclaimed. "I mean...what kind of guard are we, if we can't catch him, let alone see him! What kind of guard does that make us!"

"H-how?" Remus stammered. "And why? And when did you find out?"

"I do not know how, but I guess he was there under disguise. I do not think he was there for long. And the only reason I know, is because my contact in Gringotts alerted me that the Black inheritance had been claimed. I found out this morning. I believe that was Sirius' reason for his visit."

"But why would he take that risk?" Remus shook his head. "It doesn't make any sense..."

"Sirius was never one to care about risks, now was he?" Dumbledore said gently. "And Goblins are known for their neutrality: It does not matter who enters Gringotts, as long as they don't try to rob them. As long as their business is kept going, and they earn money, they do not care whether their clients are criminals or Voldemort himself."

"What else could your contact tell you?"

Dumbledore sighed. "Nothing. The Goblin was discovered when talking to me through the floo system and promptly executed."

Buffy and Remus swallowed.

"Oh."

* * *

It was the day before the full-moon, and Buffy tried to convince Remus to stay in bed, but the werewolf was stubborn. "No. It's the first DADA class with Harry. No way I'm not going to be there for it. Especially since that article this morning." 

Buffy sighed. It had been an article about Sirius this morning. He'd been sighted in a muggle are, not that far from Hogwarts. Of course, by the time the Ministry'd been alerted, he'd been long gone. Remus was understandably upset. So was she, but it wouldn't help if Remus got all worked up and sick over it.

"But we don't know how Snape's potion will make you react tomorrow night," Buffy said, trying to make him see reason.

"I'll take my chances," Remus said, putting on the most comfortable robe he had, which also happened to be the shabbiest.

Buffy groaned, but said nothing else as she realized it was futile. "Fine. But...could you dress up a little?"

Remus grinned. "Why? I'll only get my hands dirty anyway."

"It doesn't hurt to make a good first impression."

"It doesn't hurt for the kids to learn that they shouldn't judge a person by their fur. I mean, looks."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Hey, did you hear about that Malfoy kid by the way?"

Remus snorted. "Yeah. It's all over the school, how Hagrid's hippogriff is completely out of its mind. Not bloody likely. Malfoy is just doing what he can to get Hagrid fired."

Buffy nodded. "Just what I thought. God, I'd love to bring him down a notch or two."

"So do I. I'm sure we'll get our chances. Did you leave the kids with Poppy?"

Buffy smirked. "Yep. She adores them, just because they're yours. I wonder if she'll think the same way after spending a day with Sarah."

Remus grinned. "Probably not." He checked his wrist-watch. "We're late. I'll go greet the class, and you go to the staff room with the Boggart."

"I still can't believe you have the kids face one in their first class," Buffy muttered. "It's so mean."

Remus smirked. "But they're so funny."

Buffy glared. "Oh, just laugh. I don't find them funny at all."

"I wonder what yours would be today...? Still a noble woman, you think?"

"Haha, you're so hilarious..."

* * *

As Remus entered the room, the class was all sitting down, books and quills at the ready. 

"Good afternoon," he said. "Would you please put all you books back in your bags. Today's will be a practical lesson. You will need only your wands." Remus inwardly frowned as he saw the kids exchange curious looks. They were so behind it wasn't even funny... Even though the Boggart was third year material, most of the other things he'd teach would be things they should have been learning in their first two years: Magical 'dark' creatures and such. Remus would have rather taught them how to actually defend themselves; teach them some new spells and curses. He sighed to himself. At least Buffy'd make sure they'd get a good crash course in Martial Arts, so they'd be able to physically defend themselves...

"Right then," he said as he saw everyone was ready and was waiting expectantly. "If you'd follow me."The class got to its feet and followed him out of the classroom. He led them along the deserted corridor and around a corner. Remus raised his eyebrow as they came upon Peeves, who was floating upside down in midair and stuffing the nearest keyhole with chewing gum.

"Loony, loopy Lupin," Peeves sang as he got sight of him. "Loony, loopy Lupin, loony, loopy Lupin - "

Remus just smiled, to the class' surprise.

"I'd take that gum out of the keyhole if I were you, Peeves," he said, as pleasantly as he could. "Mr. Filch won't be able to get in to his brooms."

Peeves only blew a loud wet raspberry in response. Remus sighed and pulled out his wand. Time for some showing off...

"This is a useful little spell," he said over his shoulder. "Please watch closely." He raised his wand to his shoulder, and pointed it at Peeves. "Waddiwassi!"

With the force of a bullet, the wad of chewing gum shot out of the keyhole and straight down Peeves's left nostril; the Poltergeist whirled upright and zoomed away, cursing.

"Cool, sir!" a dark skinned boy named Dean Thomas said in amazement. Remus grinned as he put his wand away. Hopefully, he had their respect now...  
**  
**"Thank you, Dean," he said. "Shall we proceed?" Remus led them down a second corridor and stopped, right outside the staff room door.  
**  
**"Inside, please," Remus said as he opened it. Only to be met by his wife and Snape who seemed to be in the middle of a glaring match. Snape was sitting in a low armchair, while Buffy was sitting in another chair, arms crossed. Snape looked up as the class filed in. His eyes were glittering and there was a nasty sneer playing around his mouth. Remus inwardly groaned as he made to close the door. Great...now he'd have Snape watching him, trying to make sure he'd screw up. As if he wasn't tired already...not that he'd ever say that out loud, of course.

He didn't have to worry. "Leave it open, Lupin," Snape said. "I'd rather not witness this." He stood up, with a last glare at Buffy, who also stood up and glared right back. As Snape strode past the class, his black robes billowing behind him, it was obvious Buffy was doing her best not to make an ugly grimace behind his back. At the doorway Snape turned on his heel and said, "Possibly no one's warned you, Lupin, but this class contains Neville Longbottom. I would advise you not to entrust him with anything difficult. Not unless Miss Granger is hissing instructions in his ear."

Remus raised his eyebrows, not in the least impressed with Snape's jibe.

"I was hoping that Neville would assist me with the first stage of the operation," he said, "and I am sure he will perform it admirably."

Snape's lip curled, but he left, shutting the door with a snap. "Greasy git," Buffy muttered. Some of the students choked on their laughter. Remus gave his wife a disapproving glance, but couldn't stop his lips from twitching. "Now, then," Remus said, beckoning the class toward the end of the room, with a smile.He gave the old wardrobe standing there, wobbling, a look.

"Nothing to worry about," he said calmly as he saw a few people jump backwards in alarm. "There's a boggart in there."

He completely ignored the terrified stare Neville gave him.

"Boggarts like dark, enclosed spaces," he said. "Wardrobes, the gap beneath beds, the cupboards under sinks - I've even met one that had lodged itself in a grandfather clock. _This_ one moved in yesterday afternoon, and I asked the headmaster if the staff would leave it to give my third years some practice."

Buffy snorted. Remus hadn't asked Dumbledore anything. He'd promptly put a spell on the wardrobe to keep anyone that wanted to do the boggart harm away, unless he canceled the spell. Dumbledore knew nothing about it. Or, well, he probably did, but it wasn't because they'd informed him.

"So, the first question we must ask ourselves is, what _is_ a boggart?"

Hermione put up her hand. Remus wasn't in the least surprised."It's a shape-shifter," she said. "It can take the shape of whatever it thinks will frighten us most."

"Couldn't have put it better myself," Remus said, and Hermione glowed. "So the boggart sitting in the darkness within has not yet assumed a form. He doesn't know what will frighten the person on the other side of the door. Nobody knows what a boggart looks like while alone, but when I let him out, he will immediately become whatever each of us most fears. This means," he said, choosing to ignore Neville's small sputter of terror, "that we have a huge advantage over the boggart before we begin. Have you spotted it, Harry?"

Remus tried not to smile as he saw Hermione bobbing up and down on the balls of her feet with her hand in the air, beside Harry.

"Er...because there are so many of us, it won't know what shape it should be?"

"Precisely," Remus said, and Hermione put her hand down, looking a little disappointed. "It's always best to have company when you're dealing with a boggart. He becomes confused. Which should he become, a headless corpse or a flesh-eating slug? I once saw a boggart make that very mistake - tried to frighten two people at once and turned himself into half a slug. Not remotely frightening."

Buffy snorted again. Nope. It really wasn't.

"The charm that repels a boggart is simple, yet it requires force of mind. you see, the thing that really finishes a boggart is _laughter_. What you need to do is force it to assume a shape you find amusing. We will practice the charm without wands first. After me please . . . riddikulus!"

"Riddikulus!" said the class together.

"Good," Remus said. "Very good. But that was the easy part, I'm afraid. You see, the word alone is not enough. And this is where you come in, Neville."

The wardrobe shook again, though not as much as Neville, who walked forward as though he were heading for the gallows.  
"Right, Neville," Remus said. "First things first: what would you say is the thing that frightens you most in the world?"

Neville's lips moved, but no noise came out.

"Didn't catch that, Neville, sorry," Remus said cheerfully. Of course he'd heard, and from the way Buffy's shoulders were shaking with mirth in the corner, so had she.

Neville looked around rather wildly, as though begging someone to help him, then said, in barely more than a whisper, "Professor Snape."

Nearly everyone laughed. Even Neville grinned apologetically. Remus gave him a thoughtful look as he tried to come up with the best way to have Neville overcome is fear...and perhaps embarrass Snape in the process.

"Professor Snape . . . hmmm . . . Neville, I believe you live with your grandmother?"

"Er - yes," said Neville nervously. "But...I don't want to boggart to turn into her either."

"No, no, you misunderstand me," Remus said, smiling. "I wonder, could you tell us what sort of clothes your grandmother usually wears?"

A small squeak from held-back laughter coming from the corner told him that Buffy knew exactly what he was up to. Remus shot his wife a grin.

"Well . . . always the same hat," Neville said. "A tall one with a stuffed vulture on top. And a long dress . . . green, normally . . . and sometimes a fox-fur scarf."

"And a handbag?" prompted Professor Lupin, remembering the one and only time he'd seen old Mrs Longbottom.

"A big red one."  
**  
**"Right then," Remus said. "Can you picture those clothes very clearly, Neville? Can you see them in your mind's eye?" '_Of course he could,'_ Remus thought. He himself had only seen them once, and he was sure he'd never forget them.

"Yes," said Neville uncertainly.

"When the boggart bursts out of this wardrobe, Neville, and sees you, it will assume the form of Professor Snape," Remus said, eyes twinkling with held-back mirth. "And you will raise your wand - thus - and cry _'Riddikulus'_ - and concentrate hard on your grandmother's clothes. If all goes well, Professor Boggart Snape will be forced into that vulture-topped hat, and that green dress, with that big red handbag."

There was a great shout of laughter. The wardrobe wobbled more violently.

"If Neville is successful, the boggart is likely to shift his attention to each of us in turn." Remus told the class. "I would like each of you to take a moment now to think of the thing that scares you most, and imagine how you might force it to look comical. . . . "

As the class considered this, Remus went over to Buffy with a grin. "You want to have a go?"

Buffy mock-glared at him. "Whatever makes you think that?" She snorted. "No, I really don't. By the way, you are a mean professor. I can't believe you're even considering doing this to poor Snape." It was clear she wasn't even remotely serious. Remus' lips twitched. "It's not really him. Although I expect the story to be out all over the school by dinner-time."

"And that's just how you'll like it."

"Wouldn't have it any other way," he said promptly, and turned back to the class. "Everyone ready?" he asked cheerily. God, he couldn't wait for this...

Everyone, except for Harry, he noted, was nodding and rolling up their sleeves in preparation.  
**  
**"Neville, we're going to back away," Remus said. He wasn't going to let Harry face the boggart anyway, so he did not ask what was wrong. "Let you have a clear field, all right? I'll call the next person forward. . . . Everyone back, now, so Neville can get a clear shot - "

The class retreated, backed against the walls, leaving Neville alone beside the wardrobe. He looked pale and frightened, but he had pushed up the sleeves of his robes and was holding his wand ready.

"On the count of three, Neville," Remus said, who was pointing his own wand at the handle of the wardrobe, starting to silently cancel the protection spell he'd put on it. "One...two...three...now!"

A jet of sparks shot from the end of his wand and hit the doorknob. The wardrobe burst open. Hook-nosed and menacing, Professor Snape stepped out, his eyes flashing at Neville. Buffy leaned back against the wall, feeling quite content to watch the show. This should be fun.

Neville back away, his wand up, mouthing wordlessly. Snape was bearing down upon his, reaching inside his robes. "R-r-riddikulus!" squeaked Neville.

There was a noise like a whip crack. Snape stumbled; he was wearing a long, lace-trimmed dress and a towering hat topped with a moth-eaten vulture, and he was swinging a huge crimson handbag.

There was a roar of laughter; the boggart paused, confused, and Remus, trying to hold back his own laughter - he noted Buffy was clutching her sides, hard - shouted "Parvati! Forward!"

Parvati walked forward, her face set. Snape rounded on her. There was another crack, and where he had stood was a bloodstained, bandaged mummy.

"Riddikulus!" cried Parvati.

A bandage unraveled at the mummy's feet; it became entangled, fell face forward, and its head rolled off.

"Seamus!" roared Professor Lupin.

Seamus darted past Parvati.

Crack! Where the mummy had been was a woman with floor-length black hair and a skeletal, green-tinged face...a banshee.

She opened her mouth wide and an unearthly sound filled the room, a long, wailing shriek that made the hair on Remu's head stand on end -

"Riddikulus!" shouted Seamus.

The banshee made a rasping noise and clutched her throat; her voice was gone.

Crack! The banshee turned into a rat, which chased its tail in a circle. For a moment, Remus blanched, remembering poor Peter, then - crack! - the rat became a rattlesnake, which slithered and writhed before - crack! - becoming a single, bloody eyeball.

"It's confused!" Remus yelled. "We're getting there! Dean!"

Dean hurried forward.

Crack! The eyeball became a severed hand, which flipped over and began to creep along the floor like a crab.

"Riddikulus!" yelled Dean. There was a snap, and the hand was trapped in a mousetrap.

"Excellent! Ron, you next!"

Ron leapt forward.

Crack!

Quite a few people screamed. A giant spider, six feet tall and covered in hair, was advancing on Ron, clicking its pincers menacingly.

For a moment, Remus thought Ron had frozen, and he got ready to interfere. Then - "_Riddikulus!"_ bellowed Ron, and the spider's legs vanished; it rolled over and over; Lavender Brown squealed and ran out of its way and it came to a halt at Harry's feet.

Remus eyes widened, and he hurried forward, just as Harry raised his wand. "Here!" Remus shouted, standing in front of Harry.

Crack!

The legless spider had vanished. Remus looked at the silvery-white orb - the full moon - hanging in the air in front of him, trying not to shudder, knowing very well what effect the real moon would have on him the following night... He forced his unease aside, though, refusing to show any weakness, and with a lazy, hopefully steady, voice, he said "Riddikulus!"

Crack!

"Forward, Neville, and finish him off!" Remus said as the boggart landed on the floor as a cockroach.Crack! Snape was back. This time Neville charged forward looking determined.

"Riddikulus!" he shouted, and they had a split second's view of Snape in his lacy dress before Neville let out a great "Ha!" of laughter, and the boggart exploded, burst into a thousand tiny wisps of smoke, and was gone.

"Excellent!" Remus cried as the class broke into applause. "Excellent, Neville. Well done, everyone...Let me see...Five points to Gryffindor for every person to tackle the boggart - ten for Neville because he did it twice...and five each to Hermione and Harry.

"But I didn't do anything," Harry said.

Snape was back. This time Neville charged forward looking determined." he shouted, and they had a split second's view of Snape in his lacy dress before Neville let out a great "Ha!" of laughter, and the boggart exploded, burst into a thousand tiny wisps of smoke, and was gone."Excellent!" Remus cried as the class broke into applause. "Excellent, Neville. Well done, everyone...Let me see...Five points to Gryffindor for every person to tackle the boggart - ten for Neville because he did it twice...and five each to Hermione and Harry."But I didn't do anything," Harry said. 

"You and Hermione answered my questions correctly at the start of class, Harry," Remus said lightly. "Very well, everyone, an excellent lesson. Homework, kindly read the chapter on boggarts and summarize it for me...to be handed in on Monday. That will be all."

The class left the classroom, chatting excitedly.

"I can't believe you gave them homework," Buffy said incredulously as the door closed. Remus just smirked.

* * *

**A/N:** And next chapter is up! Sorry if this seemed to repeat things that only happened in the books, espescially the Boggart scene - but it was the best I could come up with for that part. Hopefully, the rest of the story won't be as repetitive. (Promise - I think) Please REVIEW! 

/Ida

* * *


	6. Black is a colour

**Come What May**

Chapter 6 – Black is a colour.

DISCLAIMER: Buffy the Vampire Slayer belongs to Joss Whedon, and Harry Potter to J.K. Rowling. I don't own anything…

RATING: PG-13 (T) to R (M) - violence, language, angst, horror, possible mild sexual interactions, etc. If you can watch BTVS/AtS and read HP, I doubt you'll have any problem with this story.

TIMELINE: AU. Part 4 in the OOTB-series. Takes place during the Prisoner of Azkaban, the Goblet of Fire and includes missing moments from the Order of the Phoenix. It begins at Hogwarts, wizarding time, and then as it switches to Sunnydale time, we jump to where the epilogue to "Never the Same" (Part 3) left off.

SUMMARY: BTVS/HP crossover. When Dumbledore arrives at Buffy's and Remus' doorstep, they are both very surprised, but agree to come back with him to the wizarding world and protect Harry Potter from Sirius Black, the man responsible for the murders of Peter Pettigrew and Harry's parents. Sirius has somehow managed to escape prison, out for revenge...but so is Buffy and Remus. How will all this mess end?

PAIRING: Buffy/Remus

**Special Thanks to:** **My Beta -** CharmedChick

* * *

The dog whined from where it was lying on the cold cave floor. He was hungry. Hungry and exhausted. The only thing that kept him going was the thought of sweet revenge. He transformed back into a man, hair wild and breathing ragged, and he stood up, walking to the entrance of the cave. In the distance he could see the lights coming from Hogsmead. And beyond that, there was Hogwarts. 

Hogwarts and Hogsmead. The two places that had once carried the best memories of his life. Tonight, he barely remembered anything of it. They'd all become lost in Azkaban, in the dreary company of the Dementors, and the only thing he could conjure up in his mind's eye, even when trying to remember, where blurs of pictures and people, with no real connection. No red thread. Just blurs.

Sirius closed his eyes in defeat. The only thing he could see clearly was Wormtail's triumphant grin. That, and the blast. The blast that had ripped _her_ way.

Eliza.

What did she look like? He could barely remember. He also remembered Remus and Buffy, both looking older and wiser, in Diagon Alley. And those two little girls... He closed his fists.

How dare they be happy! How dare they move on! How dare they forget all about Lily, James, Eliza...the good times they'd shared! They had to remember!

Because he himself did not.

He sank down to the dirty cave floor and transformed back into a dog. The saying that time heals all wounds was a load of crap. Those wounds just got worse.

If he could, Padfoot would have cried. Instead, he let out another whimper, wishing for daylight. For all he knew was black.

* * *

"This is life," Buffy sighed, leaning back into a smiling Remus' arms. 

"You think so?" The Summers-Lupin-family was celebrating the weekend with a picnic under the large tree by the lake.

"Are you kidding? Of course I think so!" Buffy exclaimed. "No students, no essays to write, you, me, this tree, the lake, the sunshine - what could be better?"

"Oi!" Sarah exclaimed. "Don't forget us!"

Remus laughed. "Of course we won't. It would be impossible to forget you. You're too loud."

Sarah stuck out her tongue.

Remus placed a kiss on Buffy's blonde head. "You're right. This is perfect. Except..." He hesitated.

"Except what?"

Remus sighed. "Except Pad...Black."

Buffy stiffened and Remus inwardly cursed himself. Why did he have to bring him up now? Like they didn't worry about him enough already...

"Black is a colour," Phoebe supplied shyly, and Remus grinned again as he felt Buffy relax once more. Thank God for the kids. They certainly know how to ease the mood. Even though they did it without having any idea they just had.

"So is brown," Sarah added. "Like that chocolate bar I know mummy put in the picnic bag."

Buffy grinned and pulled it out. "You mean this?"

"YES!" Remus, Sarah and Phoebe exclaimed, although Phoebe did it a little more quietly. Buffy broke the bar into equal size pieces, giving three to Sarah, Phoebe and Remus, while keeping the fourth to herself.

"Yummy," Sarah said, smacking with her lips. "And tomorrow there are more goodies," she added. "You know, 'cause it's Halloween."

Buffy and Remus gave each other a look. They had quite mixed experiences with the orange holiday. In Sunnydale, they had pretty much all been bad, and in the wizarding world...well, they had been quite bad there too. They both shuddered, wondering what tomorrow would bring. Trick...or treat?

"Hey, mum, dad," Sarah said, having that tone that immediately forewarned her parents that there was something she wanted.

"Yes, honey?" Remus said.

Sarah twined a piece of her hair between her fingers. "Well...this week is a Hogsmeade weekend...and Phoebe and me - "

" - And I," Buffy and Remus automatically corrected.

" - And I," Sarah sighed, "have never been to Hogsmeade. So...could we go? Please? Pretty please?"

Remus and Buffy gave each other another look. They weren't really here to have fun... but they both knew the possibility of Sirius showing up at Hogsmeade was likely, even though Harry would not be there, which they'd heard from McGonagall. But they also had classes to prepare for... And they both hoped that since Harry would not be in the small village, maybe he'd pop in for a cup of tea or something, even if that was unlikely. And what students spent more times with their teachers than absolutely necessary? (Hermione Granger excluded)

"Well...maybe a little while, but we'll see. No promises."

Sarah pouted.

"There are more Hogsmeade weekends you know," Buffy comforted. "When the year's up, you'll be so tired of Hogsmeade you'll never want to set foot in it again."

"Doubtful," Sarah pouted. "I heard some of the students talk. And they seemed to think it would be awesome."

"Talking about awesome," Buffy said, trying to lead Sarah's mind off the small village. "I've heard the students talk. And they find you awesome Mr. Boggart-in-the-wardrobe-vanquisher."

Remus flushed. "Well...I guess that's good. That the students like me. Except the Slytherins. Did you know that little Spike-look-alike thinks I dress like his old house-elf?"

Buffy snorted. "Flattering. But then again, it's your choice to dress in your worst clothes in public. Something I cannot for the life of me understand."

Remus just shrugged. "I like being underestimated. Plus, it makes it easy to see which of the students judge based on abilities, and which students judge based on looks."

"Meeaoww," Buffy grinned. "How Slytherin of you."

Remus grinned. "In this case, I'll take that as a compliment. I just wish I could do something more interesting than magical creatures in class for my second to fifth years. Like spells. But no, just because the teachers before me were failures, I'm stuck with the boring."

"Aww, I feel so bad for you. But remember, next class, there will be more interesting stuff."

"Yes. But it will be your class. Not mine," Remus pouted.

"I'm sure you'll get your chance," Buffy patted his hand comfortingly.

Remus smiled and was about to answer, when he suddenly saw something in the corner of his eye and he spun his head around.

"What?" Buffy wondered.

Remus frowned. "Nothing. I could have sworn..."

"Sworn what?" Buffy prodded.

"Never mind..."

Suddenly, rain started to pour down. Out of nowhere, large, black, intimidating clouds had arrived over the castle grounds, without the small group noticing. Remus quickly cast a charm that kept them somewhat dry, while Buffy quickly packed down their things with magic. And then they took off at a sprint up to the castle, Remus carrying Phoebe on his shoulders.

In the edge of the Forbidden Forest, a large black dog was standing, safely hidden in the dark shadows of the trees.

* * *

Harry was on his way to the owlery to see Hedwig - maybe the white owl would like to share the sorrow he felt because he couldn't go to Hogsmead. Of course, she could fly out whenever she wanted, so it wasn't likely she'd understand. Not that Hedwig wasn't smart, of course, because she was. Incredibly intelligent, actually. 

Harry was interrupted in his 'deep' thoughts by laughter coming from a room he'd just passed, without paying any notice to. He backed a few steps, and curiously peered into the half-open office door, and saw Professor Lupin, sitting behind his desk, dressed casually in a white muggle shirt and blue jeans, not looking the slightest bit shabby. On the desk, sitting with her legs crossed, sucking on a red lollipop, sat his wife, the other Professor Lupin. Or rather, Summers-Lupin.

"And then," the female part of the Professor duo said, "he said this stupid little rhyme. It went something like. 'Loony-phoney-Buffy-Duffy. Husband looking snuffy-scruffy. It was so ridiculous!"

Professor Lupin laughed. "Well, I suppose that since Peeves is afraid of me now, he goes through other means to insult me. Not that it's working. What did you do?"

Professor Summers-Lupin rolled her eyes. "What do you think? I told him where to stick it, of course! I think he was pretty shocked over a Professor swearing, because he didn't do anything else."

"And to think, the marauders were allies with him once. Until he turned one of our pranks against us."

"What!" The blonde Professor said, sitting up a little straighter, "Tell me!"

"Nope."

"Yes!"

"Yes, daddy, please do," another voice said, and Harry got sight of the two children from the train sitting on the floor, playing with stuffed toys.

"Nope. Nothing you say or do can make me tell you that highly embarrassing story."

"Yes!" The older of the two children, Sarah, Harry thought, exclaimed.

"No!"

"Yes!"

"No!"

Harry smiled fondly at the obvious loving familial scene, sighing. He wished he could have that... He didn't notice Sarah and her father had gone quiet. He didn't notice the whispering. He didn't notice the steps nearing the door. He didn't notice until the door opened, and Harry found himself with a wand pointed at his forehead. His eyes widened comically.

"Eh...sorry," he squeaked. "I should...probably...go..."

Professor Lupin lowered his wand. "Harry," he said. "My apologizes. I thought you were...someone else."

"Black?" Harry asked quietly. Professor Lupin looked startled.

"Yes, actually. All teacher's are on the look out." He opened the door a little wider. "Do you want to come in?"

"Uh, yeah, sure." Harry stepped inside. "Do you think Black can really get into the castle."

Professor Lupin's eyes darkened. "Most definitely."

"Black is dangerous," his wife said, jumping off the desk and throwing what remained of her lollipop in the paper-bin. "What he wants, he gets, if he put his mind to it. He got out of Azkaban. And if he can get out of there, he can get in here."

Harry shuddered slightly.

"What's that, daddy?" Sarah asked from the floor, pointing at a large glass tank in the corner. Inside, there was a sickly green creature with sharp little horns with very long fingers. Harry got the feeling that Sarah did not like being ignored for too long.

"A Grindylow. For my classes," Remus explained patiently. "It's a water demon."

"Cool," Sarah said, making a face at it. The creature made a face back. Sarah giggled.

"Umm...do you want a cup of tea?" Professor Lupin asked.

"All right," Harry said, feeling a little bit out of place.

"You Englishmen and your tea," Professor Summers-Lupin made a face. "I can not for the life of me understand it."

Harry found himself smiling. "So you're not a big fan of tea then, Professor?"

"No, I'm really not. And call me Buffy when not in class, alright? Professor makes me - "

" - Feel old," Professor Lupin, Sarah and Phoebe chorused. Buffy's lips twitched.

"Yes."

"O-okay, Buffy," Harry stammered.

"That goes for me too, Harry," Professor Lupin said. "Although you can call me Remus, and not Buffy. Because I'm not a girl."

"Woman," Buffy quipped.

Harry grinned, finding himself more and more relaxed in his Professors' company. "Sure. Umm...thanks," he grabbed the cup of tea Remus had given him. "When are we going to have you in class, Buffy?" He'd heard whispered rumors about Buffy's classes from the Ravenclaws, who'd had her twice, but so far, Remus had not been absent during the Gryffindors' class, and therefore, they had never had her. And since the Ravenclaws were rather tightlipped about everything, not much had slipped out.

"This Friday, actually," Buffy said. "Remus won't be in the castle then, so prepare. And also, don't come dressed in robes. Come in comfortable muggle clothes. You can tell your class-mates that too."

Harry blinked. "Isn't that against the rules?"

Buffy shrugged. "Screw the rules."

Harry choked on his tea, while Remus chuckled.

"The Ravenclaws were pretty horrified when I told them to drop the dresses."

Harry couldn't help it. He burst out laughing, along with Remus and the children.

"I can imagine." Then he became still.

"Is something bothering you, Harry?" Remus wondered.

"Umm...actually...yes. Why didn't you let me face the Boggart?"

Remus looked startled and shot his wife a look.

Buffy gave Harry a gentle smile. "We thought it would be obvious."

"Eh?" Harry looked confused.

"We pretty much figured that it would take the shape of Voldemort, which in turn would have scared the - excuse my expression - pants of the rest of the class."

Harry stared. "You said his name," he said stupidly.

Buffy snorted. "Old Moldyshorts is not something to be afraid of. I've faced things worse than him in children's nightmares. Literally speaking."

"Uhh...right..." Harry bit his lip, looking up shyly through his fringe. "I didn't think of him though. I-I thought of the Dementors."

Remus gave him a long look. "I see," he said quietly. "That's...very wise, Harry. It shows that what you fear the most isâ€¦fear in itself."

Harry didnâ€™t quite know what he meant by that, so he took another sip of his tea.

"Well," Buffy said. "Enough of this depressing talk. I think that we should - "

There was a knock on the door. "Come in," Remus said.

In came Professor Snape, a sneer on his face as usual, which deepened as he got sight of Harry. He placed a smoking goblet on the desk.

"Ah, Severus," Remus said, smiling slightly. "Thank you very much." Out of the corner of his eye, Harry could see Buffy pretending to throw up behind Snape's back, and he had to hold back a laugh.

"You should drink that directly, Lupin," Snape said with distaste, looking between Harry and Lupin. "I made an entire cauldronful. If you need more."

Harry saw Buffy roll her eyes.

"I should probably take some again tomorrow," Remus said. "Thank you again."

"Not at all," Snape said, with a look in his eye that Harry did not like in the least. The greasy haired Professor backed out of the room, unsmiling and ever watchful. As soon as he left, Buffy exploded.

"He's such a git!" She exclaimed.

Remus coughed. "Buffy..." He made a throw with his head to where Harry sat.

"Oh, I don't mind," Harry quickly said. "I think he's a git too, so insult him all you want."

Buffy's lips twitched. "Thank you Harry."

Remus shook his head, and Harry could have sworn he said something along the lines of "some things will never change," but thought he probably had imagined it. He gave the goblet a curious look.

"Professor Snape has very kindly concocted a potion for me," Remus said, giving Buffy a half-hearted glare as she snorted. "Neither Buffy nor I are very good at potions, and this one is particularly complex." He picked up the goblet and sniffed it. "Pity sugar makes it useless," he added, taking a sip and shuddering. Harry noted Buffy was staring at the Goblet with suspicion.

"Why do you take it?" Harry wondered.

"I've been feeling a bit off-color," Remus said. "This potion is the only thing that helps. I am very lucky to be working alongside Professor Snape; there aren't many wizards who are up to making it." Buffy let out another snort, which Remus ignored. Instead he took another sip. Harry had a crazy urge to knock the goblet out of his hands, and for some reason, he had the feeling that Buffy wished to do the same.

"Professor Snape's very interested in the Dark Arts, " Harry blurted out. He barely noticed Buffy place a hand over her mouth, looking like she was about to laugh.

"Really?" said Lupin, looking only mildly interested as he took another gulp of potion.

"Some people reckon - " Harry hesitated, then plunged recklessly on, "some people reckon he'd do anything to get the Defense Against the Dark Arts job."

"What he's trying to say, Rem," Buffy said, lips twitching, "is that he thinks Snape will poison you."

Harry blushed.

Remus rolled his eyes, draining the goblet. "Yuck," he said. "Well, if it makes you feel better, Harry," he said, "Buffy feels the same way."

"Don't you think there's some truth in it, then?" Harry asked hesitantly. Buffy gave him thumbs up.

Remus grinned. "Well, I have to take the chance you know. I'm a Gryffindor, albeit a cautious one. We have to do stupid things. And then learn from it the hard way."

"You were a Gryffindor?" Harry asked, amazed. He'd figured Remus was more along the lines of a Ravenclaw.

"Yep. Both Buffy and I. Although the hat did consider putting us in Slytherin." Remus winked, and ushered a now gawking Harry against the door. "I'm really sorry, but we unfortunately have to work now. Just so you know, we hate correcting the essays just as much as you hate writing them. But we'll see you at the feast later, I'm sure."

As Harry left the office, he felt far more lighthearted than when he'd entered. "I love those two!" He exclaimed to the empty corridor.

"That's great, dear," a sleepy portrait said, before letting out a snore.

* * *

Padfoot walked slowly down the familiar but empty corridors of Hogwarts, on his way to the Gryffindor tower. Everyone was at the feast right now, so it would be abandoned. The only ones there would be pets. Including a certain rat...

It had been a piece of cake of sneaking into the cellar of Honeydukes, up through the secret passage and into the castle. Now it became more tricky. Hopefully, none of the portraits would pay any attention to a lone dog. As of yet, they weren't. They were all sleeping away. As he neared the tower, Padfoot entered a bathroom and transformed back into a man. It wouldn't do for anyone to find out about his animagus transformation, even though Remus and Buffy had probably told them already... but you never knew, maybe they had forgot.

Suddenly, he stood in front of the Fat Lady. He gave her a cold look. "Let me in," he growled.

"Password?" The Lady said in her shrill voice, trembling slightly.

Sirius eyes narrowed dangerously, and he lifted up a knife he'd stolen from a muggle weaponry shop. "Just let. Me. In," he repeated.

"I-I'm terribly sorry. But if you don't have the password, you can't get in." She puffed up her chest importantly. Sirius swore wildly and kicked the wall. Damn it all! He'd gotten so far! He'd been so damned close! Pettigrew was only a few feet away! He could practically smell him! The only thing hindering him was a stupid, fat, stubborn portrait!

"LET ME IN!" He screamed, lifting his knife which glinted in the candlelight coming from the candles on the walls, and he slashed viciously, feeling little satiation from the Fat Lady's screaming as her portrait was destroyed. And then it was all over. He panted heavily, barely paying any attention to the wailing Lady as she escaped, running out of her frame and down the corridor through the other portraits who were slowly waking up.

Sirius gave the ruined portrait a long, last, blank stare, before transforming back into a dog, the stupid, still half-asleep portraits not noticing a thing. Then he made his way down the corridor once again, back the same way he came.

* * *

Buffy placed a hand in front of her mouth to hold in a gasp as she got sight of the ruined portrait guarding the Gryffindor entrance. She felt Remus gripping her shoulder tightly, vaguely hearing Dumbledore giving instructions to Professor McGonagall. She did notice Peeves though. 

"You'll be lucky!" He cackled and Buffy spun around, glaring at the Poltergeist. "And what," she hissed, "do you mean by that?"

Peeves's grin faded a little as he got sight of the two Defense Professors, and he lowered his head slightly, to the students' surprise. "Ashamed. Doesn't want to be seen. She's a horrible mess. Saw her running through the landscape up on the fourth floor, sir, dodging between the trees. Crying something dreadful," he said happily. "Poor thing," he added unconvincingly.

"Did she say who did it?" Remus said, in a dangerously calm voice, even though he could guess...

"Oh yes, sir Loopin, sir," said Peeves. "He got very angry when she wouldn't let him in, you see." Peeves flipped over and grinned at the assembled group from between his own legs. "Nasty temper he's got, that Sirius Black."

Remus closed his eyes. It was definitely Halloween.

* * *

After Dumbledore had explained to the students, all gathered in the Great Hall for the night (Sarah and Phoebe slept in the hospital wing, as Remus and Buffy didn't want them alone in their quarters) that they'd need to do a thorough search of the castle, Remus and Buffy went on their way. 

Remus slammed his hand into the wall, frustrated, making Buffy jump. It was rare Remus lost his temper.

"This is all my fault!" He hissed. "I knew I saw something yesterday, during our picnic! But I just dismissed it! And then the rain came and I forgot all about it! I'm so stupid! I saw Sirius, and I didn't even realize it! He was a few feet away! And I didn't do anything about it!"

"Calm down," Buffy soothed. "You couldn't have known."

"I should have known! That's our job, Buffy! We're here to protect Harry from Sirius! I can't say we've done a very good job, this far! What if next time he succeeds, huh!"

And to that, Buffy had no answer.

"Do you think he's still in the castle," she asked when the silence finally became too much.

"Not bloody likely," Remus snorted. "Shall we check the hidden passages? That's probably how he got inside..."

"I think that would be the best," Buffy said quietly.

* * *

**A/N:** Oooh, what will happen? Sorry about the long(er) waiting, guys, but I actually forgot. -winces- Anyway, please forgive me, and please REVIEW!

/Ida

* * *


	7. Expect the unexpected

**Come What May**

Chapter 7 – Expect the unexpected.

DISCLAIMER: Buffy the Vampire Slayer belongs to Joss Whedon, and Harry Potter to J.K. Rowling. I don't own anything…

RATING: PG-13 (T) to R (M) - violence, language, angst, horror, possible mild sexual interactions, etc. If you can watch BTVS/AtS and read HP, I doubt you'll have any problem with this story.

TIMELINE: AU. Part 4 in the OOTB-series. Takes place during the Prisoner of Azkaban, the Goblet of Fire and includes missing moments from the Order of the Phoenix. It begins at Hogwarts, wizarding time, and then as it switches to Sunnydale time, we jump to where the epilogue to "Never the Same" (Part 3) left off.

SUMMARY: BTVS/HP crossover. When Dumbledore arrives at Buffy's and Remus' doorstep, they are both very surprised, but agree to come back with him to the wizarding world and protect Harry Potter from Sirius Black, the man responsible for the murders of Peter Pettigrew and Harry's parents. Sirius has somehow managed to escape prison, out for revenge...but so is Buffy and Remus. How will all this mess end?

PAIRING: Buffy/Remus

**Special Thanks to:** **My Beta -** CharmedChick

* * *

Buffy twirled a throwing knife between her fingers as she sat waiting for the Gryffindor third years to arrive. She and Remus had been to all the passages, and figured that the one Sirius most likely used was the one leading from Honeydukes. However, he had covered his tracks well - the only thing that told them he'd been there was the smell. There had been no foot - or paw - prints to speak of.

And yet, Remus had not wanted to destroy the tunnel, thus making sure Sirius could not use it again. He had not wanted to tell Dumbledore about it. Why? Because he felt it would destroy 'an era'. And because he would feel guilty if he told Dumbledore that despite his trust in letting him go to the school, he'd broken it by sneaking out on a nightly rendezvous every now and then. Buffy snorted. He was such a chicken! Not that she was any better...

Had she had any sense, she would have done the destroying and blabbering herself. But no. Even she felt a strange need to stay quiet about how Sirius had gotten in. For some stupid, twisted reason. Remus was right. They sucked at protecting Harry.

As Buffy heard voices coming from the corridor, she backed into an dark corner. The door opened...and she let her knife fly.

Neville, who'd been the one opening the door, and therefore was the first one inside the classroom, whimpered as the knife imbedded itself in the doorframe, half an inch from his head, and he sank to the floor in a dead faint.

"Ooops," Buffy said, although it didn't seem like she meant it, then turned her eyes to the rest of the (terrified) class. 

"Always expect the unexpected," she said, pulling the knife out of the wall. "A friend of mine once told me 'Constant Vigilance.' True, he was - and still is, I believe - a bit mad, but he's right."

She held the door open.

"Please, sit down. I see Harry told you to come in muggle clothing. And I also see that only half of you obeyed. Which is disappointing. But not entirely unexpected. But not the end of the world either. In fact, you could have come in your underwear, and I wouldn't have batted an eye. I just wanted to know which ones of you who can follow an order with no explanation."

The class cast each other incredulous looks. Was she for real? As they sat down, Buffy jumped up at the desk, swinging with her legs.

"Just so you know - if you thought this class would be a piece of cake where we sit painting nails and gossiping just because I'm a very pretty woman and seemingly not as serious as my husband, you've got another thing coming. This is still a place where you're supposed to learn, and I expect you to take it very seriously."

Silence.

Buffy clapped her hands together, and smiled.

"Great! So let's get started. My name is Buffy Summers-Lupin. Outside of class, I want to be called Buffy, and Remus wants to be called Remus as long as there aren't any other professors nearby. Nothing we say or do this first lesson shall leave my classroom. That will destroy the surprise when the other classes are faced with the throwing knife."

She gave Neville, who now had regained consciousness, a smile. "My apologies, but I needed you to understand. If I had aimed even a little bit more to the left, you'd be dead. And believe me; I never miss a target I've intended to hit."

She gave the class another grim look. "Also, the throwing knife had another purpose. Can anyone guess what that is? No one?"

Suddenly, the door opened, and Harry stuck in his head. "I'm sorry I'm late, but Oliver held us back for Quidditch practice..."

Buffy gave him a tight smile. "I'm glad you seem to take your classes seriously."

Harry flushed.

"Just kidding. It's alright, but try not to make a habit out of it. As I was about to say, the knife's purpose was this - not only magic can hurt you. There are many ways out there to kill a human being. Everything can be used as a weapon. Look around you. What do you see?"

The class looked around. The only thing in the room was chairs, tables, pillows, desks, and books.

"Let me put it this way - you could choke to death if a pillow was pushed against your face for long enough. A leg on the desk, chair or table could be thrown at you, or pushed through your body like butter. And even if no vital organs are hit, well, the chance of you bleeding to death is quite likely. Also, books can be deadly. They are full of knowledge which I'm sure most of you find boring, but every spell in them can be used to kill, if that is your intention. And let's not forget our hands and bodies. Strangling, beating, breaking ones neck...the variations are endless."

The class sat shuddering, listening to Buffy with rapt attention.

"I'm here to make sure you can protect yourselves against whatever is thrown at you. I'm here to make sure you don't get killed. I'm here to make sure that you can defend yourselves, even when you've lost a wand, or an arm, or a leg. Remus is right now forced to go through material you should have learned last year and the year before that, which is a shame, because he is wicked when it comes to wandless magic. This is why classes are not enough. In class, he needs to make sure you catch up on what you've missed. He'd need several more hours, months even, to make sure you're up-to-date with what you should know. Pay special attention to the word 'should.' There's a large difference between what you should know, and 'need' to know."

She jumped off the desk and started to pace around the room.

"As I said, you cannot learn everything you need to know in class. You will not learn everything you need to know in class." she said. "Lots of things take more than a lifetime to master. And since I'm only going to have you tops once a month, I really don't expect you to learn a thing here. What I'm going to teach you will demand your utmost focus and dedication. If you want this class to help you, if you want it to truly matter, you will need to sacrifice some of your spare time to practice."

She took a deep breath.

"Everyday, weekends included, starting this Monday, from six o'clock to midnight, this door will be open to you. Drop in whenever you want. Except this first time - I want you all there from the beginning. Either Remus or I will be here to guide you in either physical defense or defensive magic, or both. That time will not be for you as a class, but for each and every one of you as an individual. I should probably warn you though, this time will not be for Gryffindors only, but for all houses, Slytherin included. And if you worry about curfew," she said, as she saw Hermione raise her hand, guessing what she was about to say.

"Don't. We will give you a pass to be out after hours. However, if you abuse it, it will be removed and you can expect a detention that will not be pleasant. There is a mass-murderer out there, and we expect you to take that threat seriously. If not, well, if you're killed, you've pretty much only got yourself to blame. If you can, avoid going alone. Not that I think it will stop Black from killing you, but maybe it will give one of you the chance to run away and get help, while the other is being tortured."

Several in the class looked sick.

"This may sound harsh, but it's reality. And reality is never pretty."

There was another long silence.

"So. Any questions? Yes, Seamus?"

"Ummm...you're supposed to teach us physical defense? No offence, but you look as if you can barely manage to squash a bug."

There were some snickers at this.

"Did the knife teach you all nothing? I am far from defenceless. If I wanted to, I could have crushed your skull by now, without anyone being any the wiser until it's too late. Do not underestimate people because of their looks. I'm sure most of you thought Remus was quite a joke as a teacher when you saw him in the hall, just because he dressed shabby."

Some of the students squirmed in their seats.

"That was the point. He wants you to underestimate him, and again, I quote; 'it makes it easy to see which of the students judge based on abilities, and which students judge based on looks.' Safe to say, most of this school failed that test. And those who didn't, well, that's only because they'd heard rumors of him fending of a Dementor on the train and therefore, decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. And am I wrong when I say most of you applauded me because you thought I looked pretty, but not so bright?"

More squirms.

"Just what I thought. Right. Here's a sign-up sheet - I want those who will come to the afternoon classes at least once, to try it out, and those who are at least consider going, to write their names on it. The rest are dismissed. Yes, Hermione?"

"Will participating be counted as extra credit?"

"No. But it will count towards your final grade. Not going won't affect your grade in a negative way, but if you go, it could raise it. But grades aren't everything. Grades don't matter in real life. If you go to this class only to raise your grade, well, then you're doing it for all the wrong reasons. If you decide to go, do so because you as a person can and will benefit from it."

* * *

Buffy opened the door to their bedroom in the Shrieking Shack, peeking inside, only to see the last of Remus' transformation back to human take place. "Hey," she said. "How are you feeling?"

Remus coughed and accepted the blanket gratefully. "Like crap."

"So the potion didn't help?" Buffy asked, not knowing whether to be disappointed or relieved.

"Oh, it helped, alright. I kept my mind through the entire night and I remember feeling really bored. But now I feel sick. Well, I suppose it's a small price to pay for being 'sane' during a full-moon for once."

Buffy grinned. "Well, you're pretty sane otherwise as well."

"And that's just because you're my mate and therefore can keep me sane," Remus said. "But even when you've been there with me, I still don't remember the slightest bit when I wake up, so the potion is an improvement in that case."

"I suppose. But I still don't like relying on Snape. And I should have been here with you tonight. In case something went wrong."

"But nothing did," Remus said, voice slightly sore. "And even if it had, I'd have been alright here. That's why I decided to transform in this place instead of my office this first time, just in case something did go wrong. I feel like crap, but I'm alright. And you needed to be on Black-watch."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah..."

Remus sat up a little straighter. "Hey, how did class go, by the way?"

Buffy moaned. "I felt like a Sergeant, drilling my Soldiers. And they looked at me like I was the devil incarnate."

Remus laughed.

"I mean it!" Buffy exclaimed. "I may have sounded pretty harsh, and occasionally morbid, but I think I got through to them. But I'm telling you, it was just like back in Sunnydale, drilling teenage girls to become super-Slayers. Except now they're teenage witches and wizards."

Remus chuckled. "Ready for the Quidditch game?"

"Of course. And you? Are you feeling up to it?"

"No. But it's Harry out there, so I'm going anyway."

Buffy gave him a kiss.

"Despite the God-awful weather?"

"A little rain has never killed anyone."

"That's the spirit."

* * *

"A LITTLE RAIN?!" Buffy yelled loudly at her husband as they arrived in the Quidditch stand with Sarah and Phoebe. It was the only way to get heard over the deafening splattering of raindrops, the thunder and the cheers from the crowd.

"IT WASN'T THIS BAD BEFORE!" Remus said, putting a shield up that kept the rain out, and then another heating charm on the family. "I STILL CAN'T BELIEVE THEY DIDN'T CANCEL THE GAME!"

Buffy gave him an upset look. "IT'S QUIDDITCH!" She yelled, as if that explained everything, then cheered as the players staggered onto the field. As the match started, it was clear all players were having trouble with the rain, and so did the crowd watching. It was almost impossible to see what was happening. If you didn't have the sight of a Slayer, of course.

"STEER TO THE RIGHT!" Buffy yelled at one of the Gryffindor Chasers, gesticulating wildly into the air. "THE GOAL IS TO YOUR RIGHT! AND LOOK OUT FOR THAT BLUDGER! - GAAA!" She let out a frustrated yell, and Remus gave her an amused look.

"YOU KNOW THEY CAN'T HEAR YOU, RIGHT?!"

Buffy gave him a glare.

As the Gryffindor captain finally called a time.out, the lions where in the lead, fifty points before the badgers. But it was clear they wanted to end the game, but couldn't, because the rain was constantly splattering Harry's glasses, making him unable to see. However, as the game started, it seemed as if the problem had been solved, because now, it looked like there was a completely new player out there.

"He's extraordinary," Remus muttered to himself. "He's better than James."

"Amazing," Buffy breathed, as Harry urged his broom through the stormy air, following the other seeker in a race towards the snitch, as if it was the most natural thing to do.

But their cheers got stuck in their throats as they both felt a sudden cold. At least a hundred Dementors had come soaring onto the field, affecting their surroundings. But Harry, who was flying straight above them, seemed to be the worst off. And he was slipping off his broom...falling towards the ground in a fifty feet fall, while his broom soared away towards the Whomping Willow.

Remus eyes widened, and he stood up, pulling out his wand to stop his fall, but was overcome with sudden nausea, and he wobbled dangerously, Buffy grabbing hold of him the only thing that kept him upright.

"ARE YOU OKAY?"

Remus just shook his head wordlessly. Dumbledore was now running out on the field, waving his wand, making Harry's fall slow down. Then, he turned his wand to the Dementors, and a silver mist which Remus recognized as the Patronus charm flew out, hitting them, making them scatter and soar away from the field, just as quickly as they came.

Remus took a deep breath, and made his way out of the stand, and down to the ground, Buffy supporting him the whole way, Sarah and Phoebe following. They could hear Dumbledore yelling angrily at the Dementors retreating backs. Then, he conjured up a stretcher, and carefully floated Harry upon it. In the background, they could see and hear Cedric Diggory, Snitch in hand, gesticulating wildly at Madame Hooch, trying to make her call the game off, and demanding a rematch, to no avail. The rain had slowed down, and the thunder had stopped.

"Is he okay?" Remus asked Dumbledore, who just gave the Summers-Lupin family a grim look.

"He will be fine, once we get him to the hospital wing. And you, Remus?"

"I just need to rest."

In the meantime, Buffy had kneeled by Harry's stretcher, not caring her jeans got wet and dirty, doing several diagnostic charms with her wand.

"So what's the verdict?"

Buffy frowned. "He's fine. He didn't even break anything. The only thing that's affecting him are the Dementors." She gave Dumbledore a smile. "Good spell."

Dumbledore smiled back. "Well, I'm taking him up to the hospital wing now. I think he needs to be fussed over for the rest of the weekend, even though he's fine. You should get back to bed, Remus."

"I will, sir," Remus promised. Neither his nor Buffy's eyes left Harry's still form, until he and Dumbledore were out of sight.

* * *

As the Gryffindor class entered the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom that Monday, they were met by a tired looking but smiling Remus.

"Hi, Professor!"

"How are you, Professor?"

Remus grinned at them. "I'm a little tired, but otherwise alright. Yes, Hermione?"

"Why do you sometimes miss classes, Professor?" Hermione asked curiously, lowering her hand. "I mean, Dumbledore told us you'd sometimes be away at other business...but what kind?"

"Of the top secret kind," Remus said promptly.

"Are you hunting for Black, sir?" Dean Thomas asked eagerly. Remus just gave them a grin, and changed the subject, letting them come to their own conclusions. He didn't want to lie to them, but he couldn't very well tell them the truth about his monthly absences. It was better to not say anything at all. "How many are coming to the extra class after school? Good."

He grinned again as he saw the majority of the class raising their hands. "You won't be disappointed. Yes, Parvati?"

Parvati giggled and exchanged looks with Lavender. "Is it true, sir, that you dress like a - excuse my expression - house-elf - just to have us underestimate you?"

Remus raised an eyebrow. "So you finally figured that out?"

"Actually," Ron supplied, "your wife told us."

Remus lips twitched. "She did, huh?" He shook his head, chuckling slightly.

"What's so funny, sir?" Lavender asked.

"Oh, I'm not surprised Buffy did that. She probably thinks that telling you will make me drop the act. She hates my new style."

The class giggled.

"I will probably make a compromise," Remus continued. "In the after-hours class, I'll probably dress a little more...freely. Now, who can tell me anything about Hinkypunks?" To no one's surprise, Hermione was the only one raising a hand.

* * *

As the biggest part of the class arrived at the DADA classroom at six o'clock that afternoon, they found they were far from the only ones there. The larger part of Hogwarts' student population were there, third years and up, with one exception - no Slytherins were in sight.

"Oi, Fred, George!" Ron yelled at his brothers. "What are you lot all standing there for? Why won't you go in?!"

"There's a note saying to go to the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy on the seventh floor," George answered, making Hermione roll her eyes.

"Well, then let's go there!" She exclaimed, annoyed.

"Yeah...but I don't see why! There's nothing there, just a blank wall."

"Maybe it's a test!" A Ravenclaw said. "To see if we're stupid enough to do it?"

Soon, the corridor was filled with different conspiracy theories, and Hermione let out a frustrated sound. "Let's go. We won't find out what this is all about until we go there anyway..."

* * *

As they came to the tapestry, they saw the twins must have been wrong - because there, clear as day, was a door, which they opened, and found both DADA Professors, dressed in comfortable looking muggle clothes, whispering slightly. On the floor, by the wall, a single, lone female Slytherin sat, looking bored. In another corner, the two children sat, playing children's-scrabble.

"Are you sure you're up to it?" Professor Summers-Lupin whispered, making her husband roll his eyes.

"Yes, I'm sure."

"But you still look sick - "

Harry coughed.

"Oh, please, come inside," Professor Lupin said with a slight grin. "Where are all the rest? I actually expected far more people than this..."

Hermione snorted. "They're standing outside the DADA classroom, wondering if the note is some sort of conspiracy theory or test you've cocked up. You've managed to make them all paranoid."

Professor Summers-Lupin burst out laughing. "Nothing as complicated as that. But it's good they're on their guard, as long as they don't go overboard."

Finally, after fifteen more minutes of waiting, the rest showed up, looking immensely confused. Professor Lupin smirked.

"Did you get lost on the way?"

The students flushed.

"We thought it was a trap, sir," a Hufflepuff mumbled.

"Really now," Professor Lupin said mildly, looking slightly amused.

Professor Summers-Lupin suddenly snapped with her fingers, bringing the students attention to her. "Right. Before I forget - since this is after school-hours, drop the 'professors' and 'sirs' and 'ma'ams', please. Remus and Buffy will more than suffice. Anyway, let's take a roll, shall we?" She said, taking up four different sheets each house could recognize as the one they'd signed up on. Finally, only Slytherin remained.

"...And lastly, Slytherin. Beginning with Blaise."

"Ummm..." The girl who'd been sitting by the wall at the beginning of the class stood up. "I'm the only Slytherin here. The rest won't show up."

"Oh, really?" Remus blinked. "Why is that? At least half of them did sign..."

"Well, Professor Snape came and talked to us and said we shouldn't go. That it would be a waste of time better spent at other things. I'm Daphne, by the way. Greengrass."

Buffy nodded, and booked off her name. "Well, I'm not overly surprised. But I'm glad at least someone decided to think for herself." She gave Daphne a genuine smile, then banished the rolls.

"Now. Nothing you learn here leaves this room," she said. "And if I see anyone attacking a fellow student without really good reason by using the means we learn here, it will result in detention. Also, houses don't matter here. No house points will be removed if you break the rules since that effects the rest of the house, even if they're not to blame. I believe in detention, detention, detention," Buffy said, looking quite gleeful, making Remus roll his eyes.

"She's just saying that because she had to sit through more than you can count during her own time in school. This is her idea of revenge."

Buffy gave him a glare as the students laughed. "Moving on," she said, sounding mock-angry.

"I'm quite sure most of you here are wondering what the hell - ignore any cursing when inside this room, please - you've signed up for, right?"

There was a small mumble of agreement.

"Therefore, Remus and I will show you a little demonstration on what you can expect to learn. Of course, what we show you will be far too advanced for you to master in one school-year, but it will teach you the main-point, hopefully giving you enough ammunition to keep going by yourselves." She turned to Remus with a teasing smile. "Ready, husband?"

"Always ready, wife," Remus said, grinning.

And the duel started. What the students saw was a blur of fast movement; curses, hexes and spells flying from the edges of their wands one after another, and the occasional wandless magic coming from Remus, who at the same time had to duck and defend himself against furious kicks and hits coming from Buffy, who in turn, easily side-stepped, rolled or avoided Remus' magic through other means. Finally, the duel came to an end, as both had their wands pointed at each throats.

"A draw?" Remus asked, raising an eyebrow, panting heavily. Buffy rolled her eyes.

"I usually don't do draws, but I guess I'll make an exception." They turned to the stunned class.

"As I said, I don't expect you to reach our level this year, if ever. But you won't know until you try. So. How many in here are ready to give everything you've got to learn at least some of this? Know that it will give you many sleepless nights, bruises, sore bodies, sweat, blood and probably a fair share of tears. And," she added as an afterthought, "the rest of your schoolwork may suffer. If you're not ready, please leave this room now."

No one moved, although Hermione and some Ravenclaws squirmed a bit.

Buffy clasped her hands together. "Excellent."

"Alright." Remus clapped his hands, and a long schedule appeared, which he put on the floor. "Sign up beside whatever time suits you. During that time, we will talk about your personal schedule in this class. How you want to lay out your work? And how you want to reach the best result possible?"

A wild tumult broke out as everyone fought over to be the first ones to sign. When everyone was done, Remus took a look at the schedule and smiled. "Alright. I see Oliver was the quickest. Everyone else, you're dismissed for now. We'll see you here during whatever time it was you signed up for."

The class made their way out of the room, leaving only Remus, Buffy and Oliver in the room. As the door closed, they could hear Oliver begin to speak.

"I want you to know I take this very seriously. As long as it doesn't interfere with Quidditch..."

Ron snickered. "He's obsessed."

"Tell me about it," Harry grinned.

"I'm so excited!" Lavender squealed. "Professor Trelawney told me I would soon have the chance to shine above anyone else. I bet this is what she was talking about!"

Hermione snorted, but Parvati nodded in agreement.

"Yes, I bet! And did you see how hot Professor Lupin looked tonight?" Parvati gushed. "Without those robes, he's really handsome!"

The two girls giggled.

"Honestly!" Hermione harumphed.

* * *

As it was Harry's turn, he stepped in feeling strangely nervous. Hermione had come out looking very pleased, but had refused to say anything about her schedule. Ron on the other hand, had surfaced looking very pale. "They're mad!" He'd exclaimed. "Completely nutters! The things they expect me to do are physically impossible! My body can not be bent like that!"

"Hello, Harry," Remus and Buffy greeted.

"Hello, Harry," Sarah and Phoebe chorused.

"Sit down."

Harry sat.

"So," Remus began. "How are you feeling? We saw the game, you know, and we got really worried."

"I'm fine," Harry said dully. "Wish I could say the same for my broom, though."

Buffy gave him a sympathetic look. "Well, the Whomping Willow is a mean old tree."

"Yes," Harry said, smiling slightly. "I learned that the hard way."

Remus and Buffy looked at each other, grinning, remembering that Dumbledore had told them about Harry's and Ron's first meeting with the tree in their second year.

"If it's any consolation," Remus said, "you're not the only one who has been banged up by it. It was planted the same year I came to Hogwarts, and the students used to compete over who could get the closest. Let's just say their game quickly came to an end when a boy called Davey Gudgeon almost lost an eye."

"Really?" Buffy said interestedly. "You never told me about that."

Harry looked confused. "Aren't you two the same age?"

"Yes," Buffy said. "But I only went at Hogwarts for my seventh year. Before that, I went to Salem's Academy in America."

"Oh," Harry said stupidly. He hadn't known that. In fact, the more stuff he found out about his defense teachers, the more he wanted to know. They seemed quite interesting...and very knowledgeable...

He hesitated. "If you were at the game...then you saw the Dementors too?"

Remus eyes darkened. "Yes. I suppose they were the reason you fell?"

Harry nodded. "Yes." A pause. "Why do they affect me like that?!" He exclaimed. "Am I just - "

" - You're not weak," Buffy said quickly, and Remus nodded in agreement.

"They affect you worse because there are horrors in your past that the others don't have."

Harry shuddered as he thought about what he heard when the Dementors came near him. His mother, begging for his life...A burst of green light...

"Dementors are among the foulest creatures that walk this earth," Remus said. "They glory in decay and despair, and drain peace, hope, and happiness out of the air around them. Even Muggles feel their presence, even though they can't see them. Get too near a Dementor and every good feeling, every happy memory will be sucked out of you. If it can, the Dementor will feed on you long enough to reduce you to something like itself... soul-less and evil. You'll be left with nothing but the worst experiences of your life. And the worst that happened to you, Harry, is enough to make anyone fall off their broom. You have nothing to feel ashamed of."

"Azkaban must be terrible," Harry muttered. Remus nodded grimly. "The fortress is set on a tiny island, way out to sea, but they don't need walls and water to keep the prisoners in, not when they're all trapped inside their own heads, incapable of a single cheery thought. Most of them go mad within weeks."

"But Sirius Black escaped from them," Harry said slowly. "He got away..."

Buffy stood up abruptly and turned her back to them.

"Yes," Remus said, not meeting Harry's eyes. "Black must have found a way to fight them. I wouldn't have believed it possible... Dementors are supposed to drain a wizard of his powers if he is left with them too long..."

"You made that Dementor on the train back off," said Harry suddenly.

"Well, yes, but - "

" - Can you teach me?" Harry added, ignoring Remus input. "I need to be able to fight them - "

Remus smiled slightly. "Of course. But it'll have to wait until next term, I'm afraid. Right now, we are going to focus on teaching you means of physical defense, and help you develop your wandless magic."

Harry blinked. "But I don't have any wandless magic."

Remus and Buffy gave each other amused look.

"My dear, sweet Harry," Buffy said seriously. "Everybody has an ability to do wandless magic."

"Most people are just too lazy to learn how to use it," Remus added.

"Or don't see a need," Buffy continued. "But you're not lazy, are you, Harry?"

Harry didn't quite know how to answer that. Personally, he thought he kind of was. Not even half as bad as Ron though, so he just shook his head numbly.

"And I am also quite certain you will have the need for it someday," Remus said. "It might even save your life."

Suddenly, Buffy became a blur in front of his eyes, and Harry let out a yell of pain as he felt his arm pressed up hard against his back.

"Constant vigilance," Buffy said, smirking. "You better remember that."

* * *

A week later, most of those who'd signed up for the special DADA class had started complaining over bruises, back-pains and other soreness, just as Buffy had predicted. The hospital wing got more visitors than ever before. And another two days later, Lavender came into the common room, back from her session, with a large bruise that stood out against the pale skin on her otherwise unmarred skin.

"Well," Hermione said loudly. "I guess Trelawney was right for once. That bruise does make her shine a bit more brightly than before."

* * *

**A/N:** Another chapter up! What do you think? A little too much talk perhaps? REVIEW!

/Ida

* * *


	8. The best of this time

Come What May

Chapter 8 – The best of this time.

DISCLAIMER: Buffy the Vampire Slayer belongs to Joss Whedon, and Harry Potter to J.K. Rowling. I don't own anything…

RATING: PG-13 (T) to R (M) - violence, language, angst, horror, possible mild sexual interactions, etc. If you can watch BTVS/AtS and read HP, I doubt you'll have any problem with this story.

TIMELINE: AU. Part 4 in the OOTB-series. Takes place during the Prisoner of Azkaban, the Goblet of Fire and includes missing moments from the Order of the Phoenix. It begins at Hogwarts, wizarding time, and then as it switches to Sunnydale time, we jump to where the epilogue to "Never the Same" (Part 3) left off.

SUMMARY: BTVS/HP crossover. When Dumbledore arrives at Buffy's and Remus' doorstep, they are both very surprised, but agree to come back with him to the wizarding world and protect Harry Potter from Sirius Black, the man responsible for the murders of Peter Pettigrew and Harry's parents. Sirius has somehow managed to escape prison, out for revenge...but so is Buffy and Remus. How will all this mess end?

PAIRING: Buffy/Remus

**Special Thanks to:** **My Beta -** CharmedChick

* * *

Sarah sang a merry tune from_ 'Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,'_ as she skipped down the road to Hogsmeade between both her parents, Phoebe, sitting on Remus' shoulder joining her shyly as an echo.

Remus grinned at Buffy. "So," he said. "Finally on your way to Hogsmeade. How does that feel?"

"Awesome!" Sarah exclaimed. "It's totally cool!"

Buffy laughed. "Glad to hear that. And what do you think, Phoebe?"

"Exciting," Phoebe said quietly.

"And where do you want to go first?"

"Honeydukes!" Sarah and Phoebe and Remus chorused.

* * *

Harry was on his way back to the Gryffindor tower to brood over the fact that he, once again, would not be allowed to go to the village, when suddenly, he was stopped by Fred and George, who dragged him behind a statue of a humpbacked, one-eyed witch.

"What? Let go of me! What do you think you're doing?!" Harry hissed. "Why aren't you at Hogsmeade?"

"All in good time, dear, all in good time," Fred said.

"We couldn't leave without giving you your Christmas present," George added.

"Present?" Harry said confused. "It's not Christmas just yet..."

"Pfft," Fred snorted. "Details, details..." He pulled out something from inside his cloak with flourish. Harry raised an eyebrow.

"It's an old parchment," he said. "Uhh...thanks. I guess?"

George gave his twin an upset look. "Just an old parchment he says!"

"I heard him, George," Fred muttered, shaking his head sadly. "Youngsters these days..."

"...They cannot appreciate true art when they see it," George finished.

"This, Harry," Fred said, patting the parchment fondly. "Is the secret to our success."

"We nicked in from Filch in our first year," George added.

"Yeah," Fred said, nodding, "it was in our first year. We'd been hauled into his office and took a chance."

A theatrical pause.

"We got sight of a filing cabinet marked Confiscated and Highly Dangerous," George said in a low tone of voice.

"So how could we resist?" Fred said theatrically.

"Don't tell me - " said Harry, starting to grin.

"Well, what would you've done?" said Fred. "George caused a diversion by dropping a Dung bomb, I whipped the drawer open, and grabbed - this."

"And...what is it? How does it work?" Harry asked curiously.

George took out his wand, touched the parchment lightly, and said, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." And at once, thin ink lines began to spread like a spider's web from the point that George's wand had touched. They joined each other, they crisscrossed, they fanned into every corner of the parchment; then words began to blossom across the top, great, curly green words, that proclaimed: _Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief-Makers are proud to present THE MARAUDER'S MAP._

Harry stared. It was a map showing every detail of the Hogwarts castle and grounds.

But the truly remarkable thing were the tiny ink dots moving around it, each labeled with a name in minuscule writing. A labeled dot in the top left corner showed that Professor Dumbledore was pacing his study; the caretaker's cat, Mrs. Norris, was prowling the second floor; and Peeves the Poltergeist was currently bouncing around the trophy room. And as Harry's eyes traveled up and down the familiar corridors, he noticed something else. This map showed a set of passages he had never entered. And many of them seemed to lead -

"Right into Hogsmeade," said Fred, tracing one of them with his finger.

"There are seven in all. Now, Filch knows about these four," he pointed them out. "But we're sure we're the only ones who know about these. Don't bother with the one behind the mirror on the fourth floor. We used it until last winter, but it's caved in - completely blocked. And we don't reckon anyone's ever used this one, because the Whomping Willow's planted right over the entrance. But this one here, this one leads right into the cellar of Honeydukes. We've used it loads of times. And as you might've noticed, the entrance is right outside this room, through that one-eyed old crone's hump."

"Moony, Wormtail Padfoot, and Prongs," sighed George, patting the heading of the map. "We owe them so much."

"Noble men, working tirelessly to help a new generation of lawbreakers," said Fred solemnly.

"Right," said George briskly. "Don't forget to wipe it after you've used it or anyone can read it," Fred said warningly.

"Just tap it again and say, 'Mischief managed!' And it'll go blank."

"So, young Harry," said Fred, in an uncanny impersonation of Percy, "mind you, behave yourself."

"See you," said George, winking. They left the room, both smirking in a satisfied sort of way.

Harry stood there, gazing at the miraculous map. Suddenly, he got sight of the Heading once again. The Marauders map. He frowned. Hadn't the Defense Professors talked about the marauders? Did they know them? In fact, hadn't it sounded as if Professor Lupin had been a part of them? Weird. Finally, he shrugged to himself. It didn't matter. If he asked them, the map would probably be confiscated. Although...would that be a bad thing? Hadn't Mrs. Weasley once said to never trust anything that can think for itself, unless you could see its brain? But on the other hand, Harry only wanted to use it to get to Hogsmeade...and if the Defense Professors had a connection to it, then it couldn't be evil, right? Even though he hadn't had much luck with Defense professors in the past... Finally, he made up his mind. 

"Rules be damned," he muttered, pulling out his wand, after casting another look at the map and pulling out his invisibility cloak from inside his robes. "Dissendium."

* * *

As Harry entered the very crowded and not-so-quiet Honeydukes, he got sight of the Defense Professors and their children standing in the part of the shop that contained all the chocolate, which didn't surprise Harry in the least. He also got sight of Ron and Hermione, argue over what to buy him.

"How about these?" said Ron, shoving a jar of Cockroach Clusters under Hermione's nose.

"Definitely not," said Harry in a low tone of voice.

Ron nearly dropped the jar.

"Harry!" Hermione hissed. "What are you doing here? How - how did you -?"

"Shh!" Harry mumbled. "I don't want those two to notice anything's amiss," he said, pointing at the two Professors.

"Who?" Ron said dumbly. Harry could have smacked himself. Of course! He was invisible!

"The Professors, of course," Hermione whispered. "How did you get here?"

Harry told them about the map in an even lower tone of voice, casting worried glances to the corner were the Professors were standing, though he needn't have worried. They seemed far too busy arguing over what - or how much - chocolate to buy.

"No, Remus," Professor Summers-Lupin said. "Please. Put some of that back. We don't need it."

"But Buffy!" Professor Lupin whined.

"But mum!" Sarah added, pouting.

"Please?" Phoebe mumbled, sucking her thumb.

"Gah!" Professor Summers-Lupin threw her hands up in the air. "Fine! Go ahead! I don't care!"

Professor Lupin wrapped his arms around her waist. "You're not mad, are you?" He mumbled, and Ron, Hermione and Remus could see how the female part of the duo visibly melted.

"No," she sighed. "I guess not."

They went ahead to the cashier and paid for the unhealthy-goodness, then left the shop.

"I think you should turn the map in," Hermione said promptly as Harry finished his story.

"But I won't," Harry said.

"But what about Black?" Hermione hissed. "He could be using one of those passages on that map to get into the castle! The teachers have got to know!"

"He can't be getting in through a passage," said Harry quickly, explaining about the many passages that were 'out of order'."

"And," Ron added. "I'd like to see Black try and break into Honeydukes with Dementors swarming all over the village. Anyway, Hermione, the Honeydukes owners would hear a break-in, wouldn't they? They live over the shop!"

Finally, Hermione caved.

* * *

On their way to the Three Broomsticks, the trio paused in their steps as they saw a commotion a few feet away. The two Defense Professors were standing arguing with who looked liked Malfoy's father, Draco standing beside him, looking exceptionally smug. Sarah and Phoebe were cowering behind their parents' backs, looking frightened, but every now and then, Sarah dared to stick out her tongue.

"I'll try to hear what it's all about," Harry hissed, sneaking closer, making sure the cloak covered him properly, and trying to make sure his footsteps weren't seen in the thin layer of snow.

"How dare you?" He heard Professor Summers-Lupin hiss. "How dare you threaten my children?"

"Your children," the elder Malfoy drawled, "should learn to keep their mouths shut. As should you, I believe. It would be terrible if one of you had an...accident."

He turned to a white-looking Professor Lupin. "You should keep a better leash on your family, Lupin," he said, sneering. "Or wait, I forgot." He smirked. "You're the one in need of a leash. Happy Christmas." He spun around, walking away with Draco. Professor Summers-Lupin looked very much like she wanted to strangle him with her bare hands.

"I'll kill him," she hissed loudly. "I swear to God I will!"

"Buffy, calm down," Professor Lupin said. "People are looking."

"I HATE the son of a bloody bitch!" Professor Summers-Lupin exclaimed loudly, ignoring her husband. "How can you tell me to calm down?!"

"Because someone needs to," he said, then visibly deflated. "Buffy, please. Just...let it go. Lucius Malfoy will get what's coming to him, but until then..."

"Fine," Buffy muttered. "Come on, kids, let's go back to the castle."

Harry waited until they were out of sight before trouncing back to Ron and Hermione.

"We heard," Hermione said. "You don't have to tell us. They were both loud enough for the entire village to hear.

"I love Professor Summers-Lupin," Ron said, looking gleeful. "She hates Malfoy, I hate Malfoy - she's my new idol!"

Harry grinned. He had to agree with Ron. Anyone who disliked Malfoy immediately earned a place on his "to be trusted" list.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Come on," she mumbled. "Let's go to the three broomsticks. We can talk more there." As they entered, they ordered butterbeers and sat down by a table at the back of the room. Harry was just about to take a first sip, when suddenly Professor McGonagall, Flitwick, Hagrid and Cornelius Fudge entered and he was immediately pressed down under the table by Ron, while Hermione moved the Christmas tree in front of their table, hiding them from view, not a moment too late as the quartet sat down by the table beside theirs.

They listened as the four got their orders from Madame Rosmerta, and then started a conversation.

"So, what brings you to this neck of the woods, Minister?" came Madam Rosmerta's voice.

"What else, m'dear, but Sirius Black? I daresay you heard what happened up at the school at Halloween?"

"I did hear a rumor," admitted Madam Rosmerta.

"Did you tell the whole pub, Hagrid?" said Professor McGonagall exasperatedly.

"Do you think Blacks still in the area, Minister?" whispered Madam Rosmerta.

"I'm sure of it," said Fudge shortly.

"You know that the Dementors have searched the whole village twice?" said Madam Rosmerta, a slight edge to her voice. "Scared all my customers away... It's very bad for business, Minister."

"Rosmerta, dear, I don't like them any more than you do," said Fudge uncomfortably. "Necessary precaution... I've just met some of them. They're in a fury against Dumbledore - he won't let them inside the castle grounds."

"I should think not," said Professor McGonagall sharply. "How are we supposed to teach with those horrors floating around?"

"Talking about teaching," Fudge asked. "Do you know how Black got in? What about the two Defense Professors? Did they not go to school with Black? Lucius was very worried when he heard in the post from his son. Understandable, considering - "

" - Dumbledore trusts them, and for what it counts, so do I," Professor McGonagall interrupted, Flitwick and Hagrid agreeing. "They might have been friends with Black once, but that was before he became a criminal."

Harry drew in a sharp gasp, earning himself a kick from Hermione. Suddenly, he wasn't so sure about that "to be trusted" thing...

"Yes, but still. Do any of you know were those two went after the war?" Fudge demanded to know. "It was as if they just disappeared from the face of the Earth. First her, and then he followed. And now they're back, twelve years later, with children! How he was ever allowed to reproduce, I'll never know..."

"What do you mean?" Rosmerta wondered, but got no answer as McGonagall interfered.

"Minister," she said in a warning tone of voice. "I believe that is quite enough."

"Yes, yes, my apologizes," Fudge said, sounding quite flustered. "But it is strange. Who knows what they have been up to? Maybe they've been making up plans on how to free Black."

"Dumbledore seems to know where they've been," McGonagall said. "And I do not believe for a second they have helped Black in any way."

"I still have trouble believing it," said Madam Rosmerta, putting an end to that discussion. "Of all the people to go over to the Dark Side, Sirius Black was the last I'd have thought... I mean, I remember him when he was a boy at Hogwarts. If you'd told me then what he was going to become, I'd have said you'd had too much mead."

"You don't know the half of it, Rosmerta," said Fudge gruffly. "The worst he did isn't widely known."

"The worst?" said Madam Rosmerta, her voice alive with curiosity, "Worse than murdering all those poor people, you mean?"

"I certainly do," said Fudge.

"I can't believe that. What could possibly be worse?"

"You say you remember him at Hogwarts, Rosmerta," murmured Professor McGonagall. "Do you remember who his best friend was?"

"Naturally," said Madam Rosmerta, with a small laugh. "Never saw one without the other, did you? The number of times I had them in here - ooh, they used to make me laugh. Quite the double act, Sirius Black and James Potter!"

Harry dropped his tankard with a loud clunk. This time, Ron kicked him.

"Precisely," said Professor McGonagall. "Black and Potter. Ringleaders of their little gang. Both very bright, of course - exceptionally bright, in fact - but I don't think we've ever had such a pair of troublemakers - "

"I dunno," chuckled Hagrid. "Fred and George Weasley could give 'em a run fer their money."

"You'd have thought Black and Potter were brothers!" chimed in Professor Flitwick. "Inseparable!"

"Of course they were," said Fudge. "Potter trusted Black beyond all his other friends. Nothing changed when they left school. Black was best man when James married Lily. Then they named him godfather to Harry. And that...Summers godmother. I still don't know where she came from. Checked up on her, I have. Salem's never had her as a student. Another reason I don't trust her. And since she married Lupin..."

Harry had almost forgot how to breathe.

"Why don't you like Remus Lupin, Minister?" Rosmerta asked curiously. "I have certainly never gotten a bad feeling from him, and he's been in her just as many times as Black and Potter. The third person in their little gang, I believe?"

"Well, yes," Fudge said. "But I'm afraid I can't tell you the reason to why I don't trust him, dear Rosie. Classified. Ministry stuff, I'm sure you understand."

"Of course, of course."

"Anyway," the Minister continued. "I believe Black lost it when his fiancee disappeared. Or maybe he had already, and that was why she disappeared. Maybe she found out something she shouldn't have, and he got rid of her."

"Eliza de Mort, right?" Rosmerta wondered. "I remember her too. Dark haired, rather tall - very beautiful?"

"Yes. From a very respectable French family as well. Did I ever tell you we found her father, brutally murdered a few weeks after Black's arrest?"

"No!" Rosmerta gasped.

"Indeed. I cannot help but believe that was Black's work as well. If the daughter found out something, I'm sure she would have told her father. They seemed very close."

"So Black also murdered his own girlfriend and her father," Rosmerta mused. "But certainly something cannot have been worse than that?"

"But it was. Not many people are aware that the Potters knew You-Know-Who was after them. Dumbledore, who was of course working tirelessly against You-Know-Who, had a number of useful spies. One of them tipped him off, and he alerted James and Lily at once. He advised them to go into hiding. Well, of course, You-Know-Who wasn't an easy person to hide from. Dumbledore told them that their best chance was the Fidelius Charm."

"How does that work?" said Madam Rosmerta, breathless with interest.

Professor Flitwick cleared his throat.

"An immensely complex spell," he said squeakily, "involving the magical concealment of a secret inside a single, living soul. The information is hidden inside the chosen person, or Secret-Keeper, and is henceforth impossible to find - unless, of course, the Secret-Keeper chooses to divulge it. As long as the Secret-Keeper refused to speak, You-Know-Who could search the village where Lily and James were staying for years and never find them, not even if he had his nose pressed against their sitting room window!"

"So Black was the Potters' Secret-Keeper?" whispered Madam Rosmerta.

"Naturally," said Professor McGonagall. "James Potter told Dumbledore that Black would die rather than tell where they were, that Black was planning to go into hiding himself... and yet, Dumbledore remained worried. I remember him offering to be the Potters' Secret-Keeper himself."

"He suspected Black?" gasped Madam Rosmerta.

"He was sure that somebody close to the Potters had been keeping You-Know-Who informed of their movements," said Professor McGonagall darkly. "Indeed, he had suspected for some time that someone on our side had turned traitor and was passing a lot of information to You-Know-Who. But not even Dumbledore believed it to be Sirius, so he agreed."

"And then," Fudge said, "barely a week after the Fidelius Charm had been performed - "

" - Black betrayed them?" breathed Madam Rosmerta.

"He did indeed. Black was tired of his double-agent role, he was ready to declare his support openly for You-Know-Who, and he seems to have planned this for the moment of the Potters' death. But, as we all know, You-Know-Who met his downfall in little Harry Potter. Powers gone, horribly weakened, he fled. And this left Black in a very nasty position indeed. His master had fallen at the very moment when he, Black, had shown his true colors as a traitor. He had no choice but to run for it - "

"Filthy, stinkin' turncoat!" Hagrid said, so loudly that half the bar went quiet.

"Shh!" said Professor McGonagall.

"I met him!" growled Hagrid. "I musta bin the last ter see him before he killed all them people! It was me what rescued Harry from Lily an' James's house after they was killed! jus' got him outta the ruins, poor little thing, with a great slash across his forehead, an' his parents dead... an' Sirius Black turns up, on that flyin' motorbike he used ter ride. Never occurred ter me what he was doin' there. I didn' know he'd bin Lily an' James's Secret-Keeper. Thought he'd jus' heard the news o' You-Know-Who's attack an' come ter see what he could do. White an' shakin', he was. An' yeh know what I did? I COMFORTED THE MURDERIN' TRAITOR!" Hagrid roared.

"Hagrid, please!" said Professor McGonagall. "Keep your voice down!"

"How was I ter know he wasn' upset abou' Lily an' James? It was You-Know-Who he cared abou'! An' then he tries to convince me te give Harry to him! But I'd had me orders from Dumbledore, an' I told Black no. Black argued, but in the end he gave in. Told me ter take his motorbike ter get Harry there. I shoulda known there was somethin' fishy goin' on. He loved that bike, he even named it, what was he givin' it ter me for? Fact was, it was too easy ter trace. Dumbledore knew he'd bin the Potters' Secret-Keeper. Black knew he was goin' ter have ter run fer it that night, knew it was a matter o' hours before the Ministry was after him. What if I'd given Harry to him, eh? I bet he'd 've pitched him off the bike halfway out ter sea..."

A long silence followed Hagrid's story. Then Madam Rosmerta said with some satisfaction, "But he didn't succeed, did he? The Ministry of Magic caught up with him next day!"

"Alas, if only we had," said Fudge bitterly. "It was not we who found him. It was little Peter Pettigrew - another of the Potters' friends. Maddened by grief, no doubt, and knowing that Black had been the Potters' Secret-Keeper, he went after Black himself."

"Pettigrew... that fat little boy who was always tagging around after them at Hogwarts?" said Madam Rosmerta.

"Hero-worshipped Black and Potter," said Professor McGonagall. "Never quite in their league, talent-wise. I was often rather sharp with him. You can imagine how I -how I regret that now..." She sounded as though she had a sudden head cold.

"There, now, Minerva," said Fudge kindly, "Pettigrew died a hero's death. Eyewitnesses - Muggles, of course, we wiped their, memories later - told us how Pettigrew cornered Black. They say he was sobbing, 'Lily and James, Sirius! How could you?' And then he went for his wand. Well, of course, Black was quicker. Blew Pettigrew to smithereens..."

Professor McGonagall blew her nose and said thickly, "Stupid boy ... foolish boy... he was always hopeless at dueling... should have left it to the Ministry..."

"I tell yeh, if I'd got ter Black before little Pettigrew did, I wouldn't 've messed around with wands - I'd 've ripped him limb - from - limb," Hagrid growled.

"You don't know what you're talking about, Hagrid," said Fudge sharply. "Nobody but trained Hit Wizards from the Magical Law Enforcement Squad would have stood a chance against Black once he was cornered. I was Junior Minister in the Department of Magical Catastrophes at the time, and I was one of the first on the scene after Black murdered all those people. I - I will never forget it. A crater in the middle of the street, so deep it had cracked the sewer below. Bodies everywhere. Muggles screaming. And Black standing there laughing, with what was left of Pettigrew in front of him... a heap of bloodstained robes and a few - a few fragments - "

Fudge's voice stopped abruptly. There was the sound of five noses being blown.

"Well, there you have it, Rosmerta," said Fudge thickly. "Black was taken away by twenty members of the Magical Law Enforcement 'Squad and Pettigrew received the Order of Merlin, First Class, which I think was some comfort to his poor mother."

Madam Rosmerta let out a long sigh. "Is it true he's mad, Minister?"

"I wish I could say that he was," said Fudge slowly. "I certainly believe his master's defeat unhinged him for a while. The murder of Pettigrew and all those Muggles was the action of a cornered and desperate man - cruel... pointless. Yet I met Black on my last inspection of Azkaban. You know, most of the prisoners in there sit muttering to themselves in the dark; there's no sense in them... but Black seemed...normal. It was unnerving. You'd have thought he was merely bored - asked if I'd finished with my newspaper, cool as you please, said he missed doing the crossword. The Dementors seemed to be having no effect on him - and he was in one of the most heavily guarded places, you know. Dementors outside his door day and night."

"But what do you think he's broken out to do?" said Madam Rosmerta. "Good gracious, Minister, he isn't trying to rejoin You-Know-Who, is he?"

"I daresay that is his - er - eventual plan," said Fudge evasively. "But we hope to catch Black long before that. I must say, You-Know-Who alone and friendless is one thing... but give him back his most devoted servant, and I shudder to think how quickly he'll rise again..."

There was a small chink of glass on wood. Someone had set down their glass.

"You know, Cornelius, if you're dining with the headmaster, we'd better head back up to the castle," said Professor McGonagall.

One by one, the pairs of feet in front of Harry took the weight of their owners once more; hems of cloaks swung into sight, and Madam Rosmerta's glittering heels disappeared behind the bar. The door of the Three Broomsticks opened again, there was another flurry of snow, and the teachers had disappeared.

"Harry?"

Ron's and Hermione's faces appeared under the table. They were both staring at him, lost for words.

* * *

BAM!

The door to Buffy's and Remus' office slammed open, and they both jumped, while Sarah and Phoebe let out a loud squeak, dropping the presents they were currently wrapping.

"WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME?" Harry roared.

"H-Harry, w-what?" Remus said, confused. What was going on?

"DON'T YOU DARE PLAY INNOCENT WITH ME! YOU BOTH KNEW BLACK IN SCHOOL!"

Silence.

"Oh," Buffy said quietly. "How did you find out?"

Harry blinked. "T-that doesn't matter," he stammered. "What matters is that you lied. And you!" He pointed at Buffy. "You're my friggin' GODMOTHER and you never told me!"

Buffy paled.

"Harry, I can explain..."

"NO! No more lies! Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you both tell me you knew my parents?" He finished quietly. "Why couldn't I have come to live with you? I want the truth- Please. I think I deserve it."

Remus and Buffy looked at each other.

"Alright."

* * *

"I became friends with Black and your father in first year, Harry," Remus said. "We became best friends, along with another boy, called Peter Pettigrew. I guess you could say they were that time's Weasley twins."

"In seventh year, Buffy arrived, as a transfer student from Salem's Academy - "

" - She never went there," Harry said. "I want the truth."

" - Or at least that was what we thought, at the time," Remus finished, sighing.

" - She soon became our friend also, and we started to...eh...fall for each other. I can also say that your parents got together during that year. Lily didn't really...like James, but Buffy convinced her to give him a chance. And things moved on from there."

"Then another girl arrived, named Eliza de Mort. Dumbledore told the school she was a transfer student from Beauxbatons, but in truth, she'd run away from home. Her father was a Death Eater, a follower of Voldemort, you see, and she needed protection from him."

"That's not what I've heard," Harry said.

"And that's not what we thought at first either," Buffy said. "But then the truth came out. Sirius - Black - was quite the womanizer, but when Eliza arrived, well, he fell in love. For real this time. After we finished school, we all still kept in touch, and we were fighting in the war against Voldemort together. But soon enough, mistrust spread. And Sirius...well, he told everyone he thought Remus was the spy. Today, we know it was because he wanted to take the attention off of himself and he succeeded with that," she said bitterly. "He had us all fooled."

"The attacks began. Despite that, we tried to keep on living. You were born. Buffy and I moved in together. Eliza and Sirius were planning getting married, when suddenly, one day, she just disappeared," Remus said. "No one knows what happened. Sirius went off on a mad-hunt for her. Or at least, that's what we thought. He might have used that as an excuse to cover up something else."

"I heard Sirius murdered her."

Remus and Buffy gave each other a look. "We don't know," Buffy said. "It's a possibility, but we just don't know."

"Anyway, more suspicion was thrown in my direction," Remus said. "And it affected Buffy, and she was sent away, because Dumbledore deemed her a liability."

"Sent away? Were?"

"Back home."

"Salem?" Harry said, confused.

"No. Buffy..." Remus hesitated. "This is going to sound unbelievable, but Buffy is not from this world."

Harry blinked. Then laughed. "So what? She's an alien? Don't lie to me, please."

"We're not," Buffy said. "But I'm not an alien. I'm coming from a parallel universe. It's earth, just like this, but different. I arrived here through a portal, and was only going to stay until Dumbledore found a way to send me back. Unfortunately, when he did, I didn't want to go. I'd found my place here."

"But still, she was sent away. And after that, things truly went downhill." Remus spoke of how Sirius became the Potter's secret keeper, and how he betrayed them and then killed all those muggles and Peter, things Harry knew, but he didn't mind listening to it again, from another point of view.

"...And I was lost," Remus said. "I had lost everything I knew. All my friends, my girlfriend...and then Dumbledore came to me. He offered me a chance to meet up with Buffy again. He offered to send me to her world. And I accepted."

"And let me go to the Dursleys," Harry said bitterly.

"No," Buffy said gently. "Remus tried, he really did. But there were circumstances that wouldn't let him take you with him. For example, he had no legal claim over you. I had, but I had disappeared months before, and no one could tell were I'd gone. You didn't believe us when we told you about the parallel dimension - how do you think the Ministry would have reacted? They'd have sent me off to a mental-hospital."

Harry deflated. "I believe you," he said quietly. "I'm still a bit upset, but I'll get over it."

"Is there any way we can make it up to you?"

"Well," Harry hesitated. "You're my Godmother, right?"

Buffy nodded.

"So you can sign my permission slip to Hogsmeade."

"Harry...I hate to say this, but I don't think it's a very good idea. Sirius is out there, and it's dangerous. Please understand."

"Yeah," Harry said dully. "It's fine." _'I'll just use the cloak again.'_

He got up to leave.

"Harry?" Remus said.

"Mhmm?"

"Happy Christmas."

* * *

As he got down to his dormitory, he had a long look in the photo album he'd gotten from Hagrid. And there, on several photos, he saw Buffy and Remus, and Black, looking much healthier and much more handsome. A far cry from the 'wanted'-posters. Another woman...Eliza, and a shorter man, Peter.

And suddenly, he understood Buffy and Remus. It must have been terrible for them both, to loose all of their friends. It must have felt strange, seeing him and being reminded of his parents and the happiness that might have been, had it not been for Voldemort...

He sighed and closed the album. Yes. He understood. He turned the light off, new determination rising in his chest. But now they were here. And now they'd told him the truth. And he'd make sure to make the best of this time.

* * *

Remus and Buffy opened the door to their quarters on Christmas morning, and saw Harry standing there, a broom in his hand.

"A FIREBOLT?!" Buffy exploded. "You got a FIREBOLT for Christmas?" She grabbed the broom as if it was the most valuable thing in the entire world.

"Uhh...yeah...So...you didn't send it?"

"What?" Remus looked surprised. "No. You mean you don't know who you got it from?"

"No. Ron thought it was you two, since...well, I told him and Hermione about you being my Godmother, Buffy."

"Oh, that's fine. So...you don't know who it's from?"

"No..."

Remus and Buffy looked at each other.

"Harry," Buffy said carefully. "Can we...keep it for awhile?"

"Why?"

Remus took a deep breath. "Sirius might have cursed it and sent it to you."

Harry paled. "Do you think that's a possibility?"

"A very big possibility, unfortunately."

"But...I need that broom," Harry said.

"And you'll get it back. Once we're sure it's nothing wrong with it. Or if there is, once we've fixed it," Buffy said. "Believe me, Harry, I will make sure nothing happens to it. It's a FIREBOLT for Heaven's sake."

Harry just smiled tightly, not in the least happy about this outcome.

"Oh, before I forget," Remus said suddenly. "We do have a Christmas present for you." He went into the room, opened a closet and pulled out a large, and heavy looking wrapped present.

"Here you go."

"But...I have nothing for you," Harry said, suddenly feeling guilty.

Buffy snorted. "Why should you? Until just recently, you thought we were just your boring Defense Professors."

Harry grinned as he started to open the package. "Professors you might be," he said, "but you're far from boring." Then he fell silent. His mouth opened and closed a few times. But no sound came out, as he looked at what the package contained.

"Wow," he finally muttered.

"Do you like it?" Remus wondered, sounding hesitant.

"I love it!" Harry exclaimed. "This is awesome!" He took up a dagger, and weighed in the flat of his palm, then looked down at the rest. There were several books on magical defense, but also a sword, a crossbow and a...stake? Along with lots of other cool stuff.

"I just don't understand when I'm going to get the chance to use all this? And for what?"

Buffy winked. "You'll know soon enough."

Dazed looking, having (almost) completely forgot about his new broom's demise, Harry was sent on his way.

* * *

Later that day, Remus was on his way to the Shrieking Shack where he'd celebrate Christmas with his family. He'd just been checking out several books in the library, when he suddenly met Sibyl Trelawney.

"Ah, hello, Sibyl," he said pleasantly. "And merry Christmas. It isn't often one gets to see you outside your tower."

"Mmm...I have been crystal gazing, Professor," Professor Trelawney said in her mistiest, most faraway voice, "and to my astonishment, I saw myself abandoning my solitary luncheon and coming to join the festivities in the Great Hall. Who am I to refuse the promptings of fate?"

Remus tried not to snort with laughter. "I see."

"But I am sure I can make an exception this once." She gave Remus a long look, which made him feeling very uncomfortable. "I see trouble coming in your way, young man," she said. "Please, come with me to my tower, and I shall crystal gaze for you. Perhaps we can change your fate before it's too late.

"Eh...that's quite alright, Sibyl," Remus said quickly. "Please, excuse me, I'm in quite a hurry." He walked off with fast steps, more than relieved to have left Trelawney and her fumes behind.

Safe to say, Buffy and the children were quite amused when he told them why he was late.

* * *

**A/N: **Hope you liked this chapter! I don't have anymore written at the moment, so maybe it will take a little bit longer for the next chapter to come out, but I hope not. Anyway, happy (late) Halloween! Please REVIEW!

/Ida

* * *


	9. Mirror image

**Come What May**

Chapter 9 – Mirror image.

DISCLAIMER: Buffy the Vampire Slayer belongs to Joss Whedon, and Harry Potter to J.K. Rowling. I don't own anything…

RATING: PG-13 (T) to R (M) - violence, language, angst, horror, possible mild sexual interactions, etc. If you can watch BTVS/AtS and read HP, I doubt you'll have any problem with this story.

TIMELINE: AU. Part 4 in the OOTB-series. Takes place during the Prisoner of Azkaban, the Goblet of Fire and includes missing moments from the Order of the Phoenix. It begins at Hogwarts, wizarding time, and then as it switches to Sunnydale time, we jump to where the epilogue to "Never the Same" (Part 3) left off.

SUMMARY: BTVS/HP crossover. When Dumbledore arrives at Buffy's and Remus' doorstep, they are both very surprised, but agree to come back with him to the wizarding world and protect Harry Potter from Sirius Black, the man responsible for the murders of Peter Pettigrew and Harry's parents. Sirius has somehow managed to escape prison, out for revenge...but so is Buffy and Remus. How will all this mess end?

PAIRING: Buffy/Remus

**Special Thanks to:** **My Beta -** CharmedChick

* * *

After Christmas and the New Year, lessons started up again. After a normal Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson, Harry stayed behind, reminding Remus about his promise to teach him how to fight of Dementors.

"Ah yes," he said. "How about eight o'clock on Thursday evening? In the History of Magic classroom? I'll have to think about how we're going to do this... We can't bring a real Dementor into the castle to practice on...hmmm...maybe a boggart? You did say it was your fear..."

Harry smiled tightly, before leaving the room, Ron and Hermione in tow. "Yeah, that should work," he said.

"Still looks ill, doesn't he?" said Ron as they walked towards the Great Hall."What d'you reckon his 'other business' is? Must be pretty tiring, eh?"

Hermione tutted. "Honestly," she muttered.

"What?" Ron asked, confused. "What d'ya mean?"

"Nothing," Hermione sighed.

Ron frowned. "Well, you must mean something."

Hermione smirked at the two boys who were standing stock still, looking quite clueless. "Well," she said, eyes glittering with mirth. "If you can't figure it out for yourselves, I'm certainly not going to help you."

"Hey!" Ron said indignantly. "Why not?"

"If you really want to know," Hermione said loftily, "I suggest you read through your Defense Against the Dark Arts books extra carefully and use that little thing in your head called a 'brain.' It is so obvious what it is once you know what to look for."

She started to stalk down the corridors, her book bag, which was threatening to fall apart at the seams, swung over her shoulders.

"But we don't know what to look for!" Harry called after her. Ron gave him a long look, shaking his head sadly.

"Mental," he said. "Nutters, that's what she is..."

* * *

"Hello, Harry," Remus greeted as Harry stepped inside the History of Magic Classroom. Buffy, who was sitting on a large packing case on Professor Binns' desk, waved.

"Hi," Harry mumbled. "Is that the boggart?"

"Yep," Buffy said, jumping off the case. "We found it in Filch's filing cabinet - I had no idea Filchy screams like a girl when frightened."

Harry grinned. "What did it turn into?"

Buffy winked. "You'd love to know that, wouldn't you?"

Harry smiled weakly, eyeing the now shaking case apprehensively.

"So," Remus said, brandishing his wand. "The spell I'm going to teach you is called the Patronus charm - it's highly advanced magic, well beyond Ordinary Wizarding Level, but I don't doubt you will be able to manage it"

"What does it do?" Harry wondered, feeling suddenly nervous. "I mean, I know it will be able to fight off a Dementor...but how does it work?"

"When the charm works correctly, it conjures up a Patronus. It's kind of a guardian that acts like a shield against a Dementor. It's a positive thought, a projection of hope, happiness and the desire to survive - it's the opposite of what the Dementor feeds on, so they cannot hurt it."

"What does a Patronus look like?" Harry wondered.

"That depends on the person who conjures it - each is unique and has a special meaning to the wizard. You conjure it with an incantation, which will only work if you're concentrating on a single, very happy memory. The incantation is this - Expecto Patronum."

"Expecto Patronum, " Harry repeated under his breath, "Expecto Patronum."

Buffy gave him a long, thoughtful look. "Do you have a happy memory?"

"Eh? Oh, right! Yeah. Expecto Patrono - no, Patronum - sorry - Expecto Patronum, Expecto Patronum." He paused in surprise as something whooshed out of the end of his wand; it looked like a wisp of silvery gas.

"Did you see that?" said Harry excitedly. "Something happened!"

"Very good," said Remus, smiling. "Right, then - ready to try it on a Dementor?"

"Yes," Harry said, sounding determined, trying to keep his focus on flying, but it was hard...

Buffy grasped the lid of the packing case and pulled.

A Dementor rose slowly from the box, its hooded face turned toward Harry, one glistening, scabbed hand gripping its cloak. The lamps around the classroom flickered and went out. The Dementor stepped from the box and started to sweep silently toward Harry, drawing a deep, rattling breath. A wave of piercing cold broke over him -

"Expecto Patronum!" Harry yelled. "Expecto Patronum! Expecto - " He was falling...

* * *

Harry groaned as he finally left the classroom. It had been hard - harder than he thought. But at last, he'd managed to produce a thick fog - not a real Patronus, but both Professors had assured him he was well on his way - they'd sounded really impressed, and Harry'd felt a strange sense of pride. He grinned to himself. The Dementors were dust.

* * *

"Right, Harry, come in, come in!" Buffy called as Harry stepped in for special DADA lesson. "You brought the weapons we bought you for Christmas, as we asked you?"

Harry nodded. After his last Dementor lesson, which had not gone as well as he hoped - he still was not able to produce anything more than an indistinct, silvery shadow - they had asked him to bring them.

"Yeah. So I'll get to use them now then?"

Remus smiled. "Well...not really. Have you read the books?"

Harry gave him an uncomfortable look. "Well...I-I've been really busy," he began. "With Quidditch and Patronus lessons and this extra class and homework..."

"It's alright," Buffy said. "But try to read them whenever you get the time - they are quite good. And when I say books are good, you better believe it."

"She's not a very big reader," Remus whispered conspiratorially, making Harry grin.

"Anyway," Buffy continued. "Do you know what you can use that stake for, Harry?"

Harry blanched. "Eh...build a really little fence?" He said, inwardly wincing.

Remus let out a snort. Buffy glared at him. "No," she sniffed, looking at Harry. "You use it to kill vampires."

"Oh."

"There are several ways to do that - one of them is a stake through the heart," Buffy said, demonstrating with Harry's, "or anything of wood really. Personally, I like pool queues. My wand works too. Though Remus hates it when I do that."

"You could accidentally loose your grip, and then, no more wicked wand!" Remus exclaimed. "A wand that has turned into dust is quite useless."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Anyway, you could also use beheading - a sword is the way to go. Or a cymbal. But then you better be good at throwing Frisbees."

Harry was feeling more and more confused every second. Pool queues? Cymbals? Frisbees? He felt like exclaiming "HUH?!" in a really loud voice.

"...Sunlight is good - but vamps don't usually go out during the day, so you better learn that spell. Fire is pretty and works too. Always wear a lighter. Lighting up a matchstick takes too long."

"Holy water make vamps smoke and feel pain - it kills if you can make the vamp swallow it - Faith once told me about this test - "

Remus coughed.

"Oh. Right. Eh...right. Crosses works to fend of a vampire, but it won't kill it, unless it's a weak vamp and have it exposed to it for a really long time. Garlic - kind of a myth. A vamp does not take any damage from garlic, though it doesn't like the smell. But who does? Once, after Remus ate garlic pie, I wouldn't come near him until h'd brushed his teeth, like, forty times - "

Remus couched again.

" - Sorry. Any questions?"

"Eh...why do I need to know this?" Harry asked, feeling slightly dizzy.

Buffy grinned. "Why, so you can help your Godmother with her favorite pastime of course!"

"You kill vampires for fun?"

Buffy suddenly turned serious. "It's my duty. Have you ever heard of the Vampire Slayer?"

"No..."

"Didn't think so. Because she doesn't exist in this world - well, she does, because I'm her, but if I hadn't come to this dimension, she wouldn't."

"Right..."

Buffy cleared her throat. "Into each generation a Slayer is born, one girl in all the world, a Chosen One, one born with the strength and skill to hunt the vampires, the demons and the forces of darkness. She is the Slayer."

Harry blinked. "HUH?!"

* * *

Several explanations later, Harry was feeling more than dizzy. But also very awed. His Godmother was the - eh - a Vampire Slayer. And Remus was a werewolf. Which was kind of scary. And kind of wicked. Npt that he was allowed to tell anyone about it, but it was still very cool.

Harry grinned. He'd get to start with the weapons next week, and then he'd go with Buffy on patrol in the Forbidden Forest. He had to have the coolest Godmother in the world. And coolest "honorary uncle" too.

* * *

After he entered the common room, Harry took down one of the books he'd gotten from Remus and Buffy for Christmas present and started to read (feeling kind of guilty for not having done it before). Hermione looked pleased. 

"I'm proud of you Harry," she said. "You're finally taking your studies seriously. What is it? For Defense Against the Dark Arts?"

She grabbed the book and opened it. "What book is this, Harry? I've never seen it before? ...Chaos demon?" She stared at Harry. "Fyarl demon...Ethros demon... Harry, what kind of book is this? Why are you reading up on demons?"

"Eh...Buffy gave it to me in Christmas present."

"Why would your Godmother give you something like this?" She suddenly looked worried. "You don't think it's a book you should read for DADA do you? Extra credit?"

Harry sighed.

"No, Hermione."

"Are you certain?" Hermione demanded. "Because it wouldn't be fair - just because she's your Godmother doesn't mean you should get special treatment..."

Harry rolled his eyes. Suddenly, there was a highly unmanly shriek echoing down the boy's staircase, and the whole common room fell silent, petrified, as Ron came stumbling down, dragging with him a bed sheet.

"LOOK!" he bellowed, striding over to Harry's and Hermione's table. "LOOK!" he yelled, shaking the sheets in Hermione's face.

"Ron, what -?"

"SCABBERS! LOOK! SCABBERS!"

Hermione was leaning away from Ron, looking utterly bewildered. Harry looked down at the sheet Ron was holding. There was something red on it.

Something that looked horribly like -

"BLOOD!" Ron yelled into the stunned silence. "HE'S GONE! AND YOU KNOW WHAT WAS ON THE FLOOR?"

"N - no," said Hermione in a trembling voice.

Ron threw something down onto Hermione's rune translation. Hermione and Harry leaned forward. Lying on top of the weird, spiky shapes were several long, ginger cat hairs.

"YOUR BLOODY CAT ATE SCABBERS!"

Fred and George snickered from a corner as Hermione sniffed. "Well, it's hardly my fault. Crookshanks is a cat - it's in his nature."

Ron grew almost purple in the face and Harry winced. That had not been so smart to say...

"In his nature?" Ron hissed. "It's in his bloody nature? Well, let me tell you something, Hermione - I FEEL THAT IT IS IN MY BLOODY NATURE TO FIND THAT FURBALL YOU CALL CAT AND WRING ITS NECK!"

Hermione paled. "Really, Ron..."

"WHAT DID SCABBERS EVER DO TO DESERVE THIS?"

"Eh..."

"HE WAS A SMALL, AND INNOCENT RAT! AND YOUR MONSTER CAT ATE HIM! DON'T YOU TEACH YOUR PETS IT'S NOT RIGHT TO HURT THOSE SMALLER THAN THEM?"

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Ron..."

"STAY OUT OF THIS!"

Harry quickly raised his hands. "Right. I'm staying out. No worries."

"IF YOU HAD TAKEN YOUR CAT'S THREATS SERIOUSLY, THIS NEVER WOULD HAVE HAPPENED!"

"You can't be certain he even ate Scabbers in the first place!" Hermione said shrilly, standing up. "Maybe you should check under all the beds first, before jumping to conclusions! You always loose things!"

"SCABBERS IS NOT A 'THING!'"

"I agree," Hermione said calmly. "According to you, he's dead. I think you are horribly prejudiced - just because Crookshanks landed on your head once - the hairs might have been on the bed since Christmas."

Ron gawked at Hermione, his mouth opening and closing like a fish.

"You...you...you...BITCH!" He finally bellowed, before rushing out of the common room, slamming the portrait closed. Leaving Hermione and the rest of the common room frozen in shock.

Harry looked carefully at Hermione.

"'Mione..."

Hermione's lips trembled. "I-I think I should go to bed," she said quietly. "Goodnight Harry."

* * *

Hermione refused to talk to Ron. 

Ron refused to talk to Hermione.

Harry didn't know what to do. He felt sorry for Ron, but Ron shouldn't have called Hermione...that.

And that was why he was currently sitting in his Godmother slash honorary uncle's quarters, moping.

"I can't stand being in the middle," he said, frustrated. "And I don't want to take sides!"

"So you're hiding in our rooms," Buffy said, amused.

"I'm not...hiding," Harry sniffed. "It's more a question of...self preservation."

Remus snorted from the desk where he was sitting correcting some essays. "You sound just like James, when Lily was in one of her temper tantrums."

Harry sat up, eagerly wanting to hear more.

Buffy snickered. "You mean when she was PMSing.

Harry flushed heavily, while Remus just cleared his throat, slightly embarrassed. "Yes."

"Well," Buffy said, jumping up. "I've got an idea - you persuade Ron to come out flying with you - " she brandished his Firebolt, " - And I'm sure he'll have forgotten all about Scabbers."

Harry's eyes had grown wide. "I'm getting it back?"

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Of course. Almost the entire staff looked at it, but couldn't find anything wrong with it. What? Did you think I'd keep it?"

Harry shrugged. "Eh..."

"I have to say I was tempted," Buffy said, lips twitching. "But it's your broom." She gave the Firebolt to Harry, but then pulled it back, just out of his reach. "If," she said, "you're going out flying, I want an adult there with you. Just in case."

Harry groaned.

"And that adult is me," Buffy finished. Harry grinned. That was not so bad.

"I also want you to give Ron an ultimatum. What he said to Hermione was wrong - whether it was her fault her cat ate Scabbers or not, which I don't think - so if he's going to come riding with you, have him apologize to her first."

* * *

Ron was far from happy with the ultimatum, but, in the end, did apologise, as the temptation of getting to try on a real Firebolt was far bigger than any problem he had with Hermione. 

They were hurrying down to the Quidditch pitch, so they could try out the broom before practice started, Buffy a few steps ahead.

"Eh...Harry?"

Harry stopped, turning around to look at Ron, who had his hands in his pocket and was looking down at the ground.

"Yeah?"

"Let's not tell Hermione that...that I only said I was sorry so I could try on your broom? I don't want her mad again."

Down the road, they heard Buffy snicker.

"Sure," Harry shrugged. "No problem. I don't fancy having Hermione mad either."

"Yeah," Buffy said, as the two boys caught up. "We females can be right scary."

"Tell me about it," Ron muttered.

* * *

"You all fly well," Buffy commented after the practice, and Wood and the other players beamed at the praise. "But there's room for improvement - there always is." 

"That's what I always tell you!" Oliver said to his team. "Practice makes perfect!"

The players groaned, Harry included. At this rate, his Godmother would make Wood even more obsessed than he already was.

"Yes, that's true - but Quidditch players also needs to rest, eat and have fun," Buffy said, remembering James' torturous practices. "Listen up," she added. "I used to play Quidditch at Hogwarts - Gryffindor team, chaser - I can give you some tips of some of the moves we pulled - if you want me to."

"Yes!" Wood exclaimed, and Angelina, Alicia and Katie nodded. "That would be great."

"And Oliver, go talk to my husband - he's a damn good keeper, but wasn't on the team, because he had - or has - this problem called "too much modesty." Seriously, I've told him a thousand times that he needs treatment for it, but he never listens."

Harry grinned.

Oliver looked giddy with excitement. "The Cup is ours this year - I'm sure of it!"

* * *

The Ravenclaw vs Gryffindor Quidditch game wasn't really a game at all - it was slaughter - with Harry's new broom, the chaser's new moves, and Oliver's newly acquired tips from Remus (even though Remus had complained a bit, saying teacher's weren't supposed to take sides, he'd given in - after Buffy had threatened to put him on the couch for a month) - the lions won easily - even though they were in trouble for awhile, when Harry seemed more interested in looking at the Ravenclaw's seeker Cho Chang, than for the Snitch. 

Also, the Slytherin's tried to put Harry out of his game by appearing at the pitch dressed as Dementors, but, after sending a Patronus after them - well, at least some Patronus mist - they fell on their own faces and exposed, which resulted in detention and loss of fifty points.

Harry was incredibly joyful, and Ron couldn't stop laughing.

* * *

Sirius stood in front of the Gryffindor portrait, now Sir Cadogan, who had replaced the Fat Lady, a note in hand. 

"...And for Wednesday," he said in a scratchy, hoarse voice, "the password was 'flobberworm.' Thursday's password was 'twilight', and today's password is 'lions rule.'"

"Excellent!" Sir Cadogan exclaimed, swinging his sword wildly. "You, my dear Lord, are accepted as a worthy guest of the lovely Gryffindor common rooms!"

The portrait opened, and Sirius climbed inside, his yellow teeth showing in a wild grin, as he inwardly thanked the careless fool who had dropped the note with the passwords after the game. He looked around. The common rooms looked just like he remembered...although dirtier. But then again, they had obviously had a party, celebrating their crushing victory over Ravenclaw, so they were excused. Sirius was far from a stranger to dirt...after all, his own dorm and then apartment had looked like a dumpster...until Eliza came along.

_'No.'_ He thought._ 'Don't go there. Don't think of her.'_

He took a deep breath, and slowly walked up the stairs he knew lead to the boy's dorms.

_'This place is a palace compared to Azkaban.'_ He froze. _'No. Don't go there either. Happy thoughts. Think happy thoughts. Focus. Pettigrew. Wormtail. Find. Kill. Rip to pieces. Move on.'_

His mouth stretched out in an ugly, maniac grin. Maybe it wasn't a 'happy thought' per se, but for Sirius, it worked. He stopped and looked at all the doors in front of him... Now...which dorm did the Weasley sleep in? He moved towards the dorm he and James and Remus had occupied (he left out Wormtail on purpose), taking a chance. He slowly opened the door, and looked inside. The hangings to all the beds were shut close.

Sirius took a step forwards, to the first bed, and moved the hangings apart, slowly, and carefully. And there, laid...Harry.

Sirius stepped forwards, trembling slightly as he looked at his Godson...less than two inches away from him. Sleeping quietly, in the same bed, and in the same position as James. The only difference was that Harry did not snore, which was strange, considering James had sounded like a muggle truck - and Harry also had green eyes. But now, with his eyes shut, Harry looked like a mirror image of his father.

Sirius stretched out his fingers and were about to touch him...but he hesitated.

_'Focus, Black. The. Mission.'_

He stretched out his fingers again.

He carefully moved away a few strands of hair from Harry's face. And there, the famous scar was clearly visible against his pale skin.

Suddenly, Harry mumbled something in his sleep, and turned over, and Sirius pulled back his fingers as if he'd been burnt. He inwardly cursed. He was an idiot. He had to find Pettigrew! This was not the time to get all mushy and teary eyed! He silently shut the hangings, and moved onto the next bed, opened the hangings and peeked inside. There, in the bed which Remus once had occupied, laid the boy who'd dropped the note with the passwords.

He quickly moved on once again.

The next bed had not been in the dorm when the marauders lived there, so he supposed it must have been added later. There slept a boy with sandy hair, mouth agape, snoring loudly. In the next bed, a black boy lay, naked bum in the air - the covers laying twisted down by his feet.

Snickering silently, Sirius closed the hangings and moved onto the last bed, praying. His heart was beating loudly, as he opened the hangings...only an inch - and looked inside. And there, the red-headed boy laid, sleeping.

Sirius grinned, and pulled out his knife, and slashed the hangings opened - he was so excited he forgot to be careful and quiet - and the boy woke up, screaming loudly.

"AAARRGGHH! NOOO!"

Sirius' eyes widened, and he quickly slipped out of the dorm, transforming back into a dog, and jumped down the stairs, rushing through the portrait and down through the corridor and into the cold night air.

It was official.

He was an idiot.

Now what? That had probably been his only chance...

* * *

**A/N: **So sorry about the long wait guys! I've been busy revamping my websites (are quite proud of them now) and my schoolwork, which are towering several metres over my desk. Well...maybe not metres, but, there is a tower! I swear! -grin- This chapter seems kind of rushed, plot-wise, and writing-wise, so I'm not very pleased with it...but oh, well. -shrugs- I hope next update won't take as long as this one, at least... Anyway, please REVIEW!

/Ida

* * *


	10. A promise

**Come What May**

Chapter 10 – A promise.

DISCLAIMER: Buffy the Vampire Slayer belongs to Joss Whedon, and Harry Potter to J.K. Rowling. I don't own anything…

RATING: PG-13 (T) to R (M) - violence, language, angst, horror, possible mild sexual interactions, etc. If you can watch BTVS/AtS and read HP, I doubt you'll have any problem with this story.

TIMELINE: AU. Part 4 in the OOTB-series. Takes place during the Prisoner of Azkaban, the Goblet of Fire and includes missing moments from the Order of the Phoenix. It begins at Hogwarts, wizarding time, and then as it switches to Sunnydale time, we jump to where the epilogue to "Never the Same" (Part 3) left off.

SUMMARY: BTVS/HP crossover. When Dumbledore arrives at Buffy's and Remus' doorstep, they are both very surprised, but agree to come back with him to the wizarding world and protect Harry Potter from Sirius Black, the man responsible for the murders of Peter Pettigrew and Harry's parents. Sirius has somehow managed to escape prison, out for revenge...but so is Buffy and Remus. How will all this mess end?

PAIRING: Buffy/Remus

**Special Thanks to:** **My Beta -** CharmedChick

* * *

"HOW DOES HE DO IT?!" Buffy exploded. "HOW DOES HE GET IN?!"

Remus sighed. After the attack on Ron - which had probably been meant as an attack on Harry - the castle had been searched over and over again. The Fat Lady had been repaired and re-hung, and the greasy bat of the dungeons was following Remus' and Buffy's every move with those black eyes. It was clear he suspected them, and the only place they could be alone were in their quarters, during class and in the Shrieking Shack.

"All the passages are secure, one way or another, and he's not getting in through the Shack. How does he do it, Rem?"

Remus shrugged. "Through the front door? It's the only way I can come up with."

Buffy groaned. "I suppose. But the doors are locked and secure at night, so he can't get in then..."

"...which means he probably sneaks in with his dog form under a disillusionment charm during the day, and then stays hidden until nightfall," Remus finished, sighing.

"Which means we should tell Dumbledore about Padfoot!"

Silence.

"So...why aren't we?" Remus mumbled. "Why do we keep it a secret? I can't believe I'm saying this, but Snape is right not to trust us."

Buffy glared at him. "Snape is annoying."

Remus lips twitched. "Yes. That too. Seriously, though - "

Buffy winced, and Remus closed his eyes. Seriously. The pun on Sirius' name. The man seemed to manage to hunt them no matter what they did.

" - Should we go to Dumbledore and tell him?"

Buffy looked down at her feet. "I don't know. My brain says 'go right ahead, what the fuck are you waiting for?' But my heart...I just have this...bad feeling."

"Me too."

Buffy bit her lip. "Do you think we're all wrong? What if Sirius' agenda is something else - and not hurting Harry?"

Remus started to pace around the room. "Possible. But what? I mean, it all fits! It makes perfect sense that he would want Harry dead if you look at all the facts rationally."

"But when has Sirius ever been known for his rational thinking?" Buffy pointed out. "What if we're missing something?"

"Like what?"

"I don't know!" Buffy said, throwing up her arms in frustration. "I just...look. Why did Sirius run when Ron woke up? As morbid as it sounds, why not just...silence him and proceed to Harry? I mean, he certainly had no trouble blowing up that street?! It doesn't make any sense!"

"Like you said, since when has Sirius made sense?" Remus sighed. "Maybe he knew it would have been hard getting out of the castle after...carrying out the act? I don't know. But you're right. This is all...very confusing."

* * *

Remus and Buffy were sitting in the Great Hall, two days after Sirius' break in, when there was a commotion at the Gryffindor table. They both looked up, just in time to see Neville sprinting out of the hall, holding a smoking, red envelope. They both winced as they heard it explode.

"NEVILLE LONGBOTTOM, OF ALL THE IRRESPONSIBLE AND UNBELIEVABLY STUPID THINGS YOU'VE MANAGED TO DO, THIS CERTAINLY TAKES THE PRICE! WHAT WERE YOU THINKING? OH, I FORGOT - YOU WEREN'T! JUST LIKE ALWAYS! IF ONLY YOU COULD BE MORE LIKE YOUR PARENTS! BUT NO, JUST HAVE TO GO AND PUT THE ENTIRE CASTLE AT RISK! YOU HAVE BROUGHT THE ENTIRE LONGBOTTOM FAMILY TO SHAME! I CANNOT BELIEVE YOU!"

"Poor Neville," Remus mumbled to Buffy, frowning at the laughing Slytherins. "That was unnecessarily harsh."

Buffy nodded. "Yeah...hey, he likes you - why don't we invite him to dinner or something next weekend? Considering he's been banned from going to Hogsmeade? And Harry too? I really think they should get to know each other better, considering they'd have been really close if their parents were still...around," she finished lamely.

Remus smiled, a little sadly. "Sure." His smile widened into a grin. As long as you let the House-elves do the cooking. Even Phoebe fairs better in the kitchen than you do."

Buffy gave him a mock-glare and a mild punch in the shoulder. "Oh, you..."

* * *

Harry was just about to climb into the One-eyed witch statue, and sneak away to Hogsmeade, but was interrupted when Neville came around the corner.

"Harry!" He said, waving, and jogging up to him. "I've been looking all over for you! The Lupins invited me to dinner, and said I should bring you too! Isn't that great?"

Harry forced out a smile. "Yeah. Excellent. Uh...look. Could you give my excuses to the professors? I really have to do that vampire essay for DADA..."

Neville brightened even more. "You haven't done it either? Great! I was thinking of asking the Lupins for some help with it, because I don't understand anything..."

"Er - hang on - yeah, I forgot, I finished it last night!" Harry added hurriedly, inwardly making an apology for lying to Neville.

"Oh, that's just great!" Neville said. "Then you can help me instead - I really didn't want to ask the professors at all, because that would be embarrassing, you know? But I was desperate. So...you know, the garlic thing - do the vampires have to eat it?"

"No," Harry sighed. "The garlic thing is a myth. It can't harm vampires at all - they just don't like the smell."

"Really? Oh, thank you Harry!" Neville gushed. "I - " He broke off with a small gasp, his eyes widening as he got sight of something over Harry's shoulder, and the green-eyes boy spun around, feeling Neville moving, so he stood hidden behind him.

"And what are you two doing here?" Snape sneered, coming to a halt. "An odd place to meet - "

Snape's black eyes flicked to the doorways on either side of them, and then to the one-eyed witch.

Harry gulped. "We're not - meeting here," said Harry. "We just - met here."

"Indeed?" said Snape. "You have a habit of turning up in unexpected places, Potter, and you are very rarely there for no good reason... I suggest the pair of you return to Gryffindor Tower, where you belong."

"A-actually, I'm on my way to see the Lupins," Neville squeaked out, then cowered, as Snape turned his eyes to him, raising an eyebrow.

"Is that so, hmm? Well, then I suggest you get going."

Neither of the boys needed another prompting, and they both stumbled away. As they turned the corner, Harry looked back. Snape was running one of his hands over the one-eyed witch's head, examining it closely.

"Oh, Neville," Harry said, putting a hand on his shoulder as they neared the Lupins' quarters. "I just remembered - I forgot my essay in the library. You go on ahead - I'll show up in a minute." He let out a wry grin. "Although with my luck, Filch has probably found my essay and burned it, or something."

"Oh, I can go with you, if you'd like - "

"No, that's alright," Harry quickly said. "I'll probably get there faster without you, anyway."

Before Neville could open his mouth to say something else, and before Harry himself could wrap his mind around how his excuse had probably sounded to the slightly chubby boy, Harry hurried away, mind already set on yet another try to get to Hogsmeade, unaware of Neville's wounded look.

* * *

"Hi, Neville!" Buffy said brightly, as the boy stepped into their quarters. "Where's Harry?"

"Oh, he forgot his essay in the library and had to go pick it up" Neville said, looking around curiously. "He might come by later." He got sight of a long sword with a slightly curved blade, and he fingered it curiously, but quickly moved away, blushing, as Buffy caught sight of it.

"Oh, don't feel embarrassed," she grinned. "Look all you want. After all, it's not often students get the honor of seeing their professors' rooms."

Neville flushed even more. "What is that, professor?" He wondered, pointing at the sword.

"Oh, this?" Buffy picked it up, swinging it around like am expert, making Neville stumble back a few steps, afraid she'd cut off his nose or something by mistake.

"This beauty, is a katana," she said. "If we get the time, I'm gonna let you try it, during one of your special DA lessons, once you've gotten a bit more secure on hand-to-hand. And call me Buffy. It's the weekend - no classes - no formal stuff."

Neville smiled faintly, knowing she was probably just being kind. He knew very well he'd never get any more secure on hand-to-hand than he was. Which was not at all.

"Oh, don't look so glum!" Buffy said, ruffling up his hair, making Neville go beet-red. "You have every chance of excelling, Neville, your only problem is your self-esteem. Or rather, lack thereof."

"Buffy's right, Neville," Remus said, stepping into the room, carrying a large bowl of a dish that looked - and smelled - delicious. He was followed by the two children - Sarah and Phoebe, if he remembered correctly - they had sometimes watched during his special classes, and sometimes during the ordinary too. "As soon as we get some of your self-doubt to disappear, I do not doubt you will become a formidable wizard."

Neville flushed again, not used to this much praise. "Thanks," he muttered, not sure if it was for the professors' compliments, or for the food, which the dark-haired girl - Sarah - was putting onto his plate.

"You're welcome!" She said brightly. "I wish we had house-elves - they're amazing!"

"And something that does not exactly teach children to pick up and clean up after themselves, but rather get everything served on a silver platter," Remus said mildly, making Sarah pout.

Neville couldn't help but grin at the easygoing family chemistry. Something completely different than what he experienced at home with his gran.

'Sit up, Neville! Your back shall be straight. Not slumped over like an old hag! Don't talk with your mouth full. No elbows on the table! Use all the utensils - not just the fork! Take small portions! And small bites! How many times do I have to tell you? And the napkin is there for a reason!'

Almost unconsciously, he found himself following his grandmother's commands. Until he heard a snort, and he looked up, startled, at Sarah, who had let out the sound.

"What is it?" He got out, after swallowing quickly, and drying his lips carefully with the napkin.

"You look like you're about to suffer from heart-failure," she grinned. "That, or like someone who's been stupefied. You're like a robot."

Neville flushed.

"Sarah!" Buffy hissed. "Stop it!"

"What? It's true!" Sarah protested.

Neville lowered his fork and looked down on his lap. "I'm sorry," he mumbled, feeling more insecure and uncomfortable than ever. Wasn't this how you were supposed to act when visiting someone? And otherwise too? Maybe he didn't look like this when sitting at the Gryffindor table, but that was just because Seamus - and everyone else - had given him such a weird look when he'd sat like that during the dinner after his sorting. And, no matter how his grandmother had repeatedly told him to act, he did not want to be regarded as the 'strange' boy for the rest of his school-years. Although he probably was regarded as the outsider anyway.

"Neville," Remus said, giving him a sympathetic look. "Is that really comfortable?"

Neville bit his lips. "Well...no...but my gran says - "

" - Neville, listen to me. Whatever your grandmother has told you, ignore it, if you don't like following her orders. I have had the pleasure of meeting Augusta myself, and I have to say, I got the impression she is a very stern woman with certain beliefs of what is right and proper, no offence to your grandmother intended," Remus continued. "Now, you are thirteen years old. Augusta is that, six times over, at least."

Neville couldn't help but grin.

"Which also means," Buffy added, "that what she might consider correct, is regarded as very old-fashioned in today's society. Which means, you do not have to follow her every whim."

"Neville," Remus said gently. "The first step of getting past your insecurities is to accept and feel comfortable with yourself. Which means you have to do what makes you feel good - what you feel you want to do, and not what your grandmother wants."

Neville didn't know what to say, and was thankfully saved from having to answer, when Phoebe somehow managed to get her entire plate with food over herself.

"Sorry," she said meekly.

"That's okay," Buffy said, lifting her wand and 'scourgifying' her daughter thoroughly. "Be glad it wasn't smoking hot."

After dinner, the Lupins sat down with Neville, talking about everything and nothing, and Neville started to feel more and more relaxed, and Remus had just gotten him started on some relaxing techniques, when the fire flared up, and Snape's voice were heard.

"Lupin! I want a word!"

The fire went out again, and Remus gave Buffy a started look. The blonde grinned, and grabbed a handful of floo-powder, throwing it in, making the fire flare up again.

"Snape's office," she said. "Hoho, Snapie," She sing-songed, making Neville choke on his laughter. The potions-masters head appeared, pale, black eyes glittering with malice.

"What?" He hissed. "Did I not make myself clear? I want Lupin here, now!"

"Well," Buffy said innocently. "Actually, you didn't. You see, I almost flunked at math, but even I know that there are four Lupins in this castle." Neville looked at her with horror. She was antagonizing the Potions master! The one-who-should-be-feared! Did she have a death wish?

Snape sneered. "Who do you think, you silly wench?" He spat. "That total failure of a husband, of course! Now, if you are not too busy engaging in activities that will result in yet another horrible little offspring, I suggest you get him to come here, immediately!" The fire died out, leaving Buffy gawking. She was not the only one. Neville's eyes had gone big as saucers, and Remus was looking completely baffled.

"Oh, that...that...that...GAH!" Buffy threw her hands up. "I cannot believe him!"

Remus seemed to have managed to scoop up his jaw from the floor. "Well." He coughed, grabbing a handful of floo-powder. "I better see what he wants."

* * *

"You called, Severus," Remus said, as he stepped out of the fire, brushing ash of his robes. Outwardly, he was calm, but inwardly, he was seething. How dare he insult his kids? That was stepping over the line!

"I certainly did," Snape said, his face contorted with fury as he strode back to his desk. "And it was about time you answered. I have just asked Potter to empty his pockets. He was carrying this."

Snape pointed at the parchment, on which the words of Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs were still shining. Remus quickly put on a blank expressions on his face.

"Well?" Snape sneered.

Remus stared at the map, wheels turning. Harry had the map...Harry had obviously used the map...Harry had obviously sneaked out of the castle. If he had that map, he could see when Sirius tried to get into the castle...

"Well?" Snape said gain. "This parchment is plainly full of Dark Magic. This is supposed to be your area of expertise, Lupin. Where do you imagine Potter got such a thing?"

Lupin looked up and shot a quick, almost unnoticeable look in Harry's direction, telling him to keep quiet.

"Full of Dark Magic?" he said, somehow managing to keep his voice even and unconcerned. "Do you really think so, Severus? It looks to me as though it is merely a piece of parchment that insults anybody who reads it. Childish, but surely not dangerous? I imagine Harry got it from a joke shop - "

"Indeed?" Snape interrupted, his jaw clenching and unclenching. "You think a joke shop could supply him with such a thing? You don't think it more likely that he got it directly from the manufacturers?"

Remus knew very well what Snape was talking about, and he also knew that Snape knew that Remus knew.

"You mean, by Mr. Wormtail or one of these people?" he said. "Harry, do you know any of these men?"

"No," said Harry quickly.

"You see, Severus?" said Lupin, turning back to Snape. "It looks like a Zonko product to me - "

Right on cue, Ron came bursting into the office. He was completely out of breath, and stopped just short of Snape's desk, clutching the stitch in his chest and trying to speak. Remus inwardly thanked the Gods, or whoever it was that looked over them. And Ron, himself, of course.

"I - gave - Harry - that - stuff," he choked. "Bought - it... in Zonko's... ages - ago..."

"Well!" Remus said, clapping his hands together and looking around cheerfully. "That seems to clear that up! Severus, I'll take this back, shall I?" He quickly took the map, folded it up, and put it inside his robes.

"Harry, Ron, come with me, I need a word about my vampire essay - excuse us, Severus - " He quickly hurried out, before Snape managed to come up with a reason to keep the map, Harry and Ron following.

As they got to the entrance hall, Harry spoke up.

"Remus, I - "

"I don't want to hear explanations," Remus said shortly. He was very disappointed in Harry, and was about to tell him so. "I happen to know that this was confiscated by Mr. Filch many years ago. I do not want to know how it fell into your possession. I am, however, astounded that you didn't hand it in. Particularly after what happened the last time a student left information about the castle lying around. And, while Neville did it by mistake, you were perfectly aware of what trouble a map like this can cause. I can't let you have it back, Harry. I'm very disappointed in you."

Harry's heart fell. Remus' comment hurt more than he thought it would, even though he'd expected it. Maybe it was because they were practically 'family', what with Buffy being his Godmother and all, even though they hadn't grown really close yet... Inwardly, he started to panic. What if they hated him now? What if they didn't want to have anything to do with him anymore? He gulped. Still...he had to risk another question...

"Eh...why did Snape think I'd got it from the manufacturers?"

"Because...," Remus hesitated, "because these mapmakers would have wanted to lure you out of school. They'd think it extremely entertaining."

"So you know them?" Harry said, enthusiastically. "I heard you and Buffy talk about the marauders, but I wasn't sure what it meant..."

"We've met," Remus said shortly, giving Harry a serious look. He hated having to make Harry feel bad, but he needed to understand... "Don't expect me to cover up for you again, Harry," he said. "I cannot make you take Sirius Black seriously. But I would have thought that what you have heard when the Dementors draw near you would have had more of an effect on you. Your parents gave their lives to keep you alive, Harry. A poor way to repay them - gambling their sacrifice for a bag of magic tricks."

* * *

Buffy inwardly groaned as she heard a movement behind her. She stopped.

"What do you want, Snape?" She said, tiredly. "Don't you have any better things to do than to stalk me? Like...playing with your chemistry set or something?"

Snape still hadn't stopped his stalking of her and Remus, and frankly, she was getting more than tired of it.

Snape stepped out of the shadows.

"Perhaps," he said. "But I will stop when I feel it is secure to do so."

Buffy groaned, and spun around. "And when is that? I'm getting tired of wondering if you're peeking when I'm in the bathroom."

Snape gave her a malicious grin. "Believe me. I have no wish whatsoever watching you doing Merlin knows what in there."

"Oh, thank God for small miracles," Buffy said dryly. "To be honest, Severus, I think you need a girl. Or a man, if you swing that way. Because your latest source of entertainment is not very enjoyable for any of us."

Two small spots of red appeared on Snape's pale cheeks. "I am just looking out for the inhabitants of this castle."

"You mean, hoping to get a big, fat reward and an order of Merlin if you manage to catch me and Remus helping Black into the castle?"

Snape sneered. "Something like that." 

"You will have to wait then, because Remus and I are doing no such thing."

"I am of another opinion."

Buffy let out a frustrated yell. "For God's sake, Snape, how many times do I have to tell you that Remus and I are here to help catch Sirius, not to help him kill Harry, or anyone! I always knew you had a thick skull, but this tops the cake!"

Snape said nothing.

"You've been watching our every step for two weeks now - when will you stop? Tomorrow? Next week, next term?"

"When I feel that neither you nor the wolf are a security risk. Although, I do not expect you to last in this castle for much longer, so I think I can safely say I will stop before the next school year."

Buffy's eyes narrowed. "Is that a threat?" She growled.

Snape smirked. "No," he said, turning around, black robed billowing behind him. "That is a promise."

* * *

**A/N:** And chapter ten is up! Hope you like it! Chapter 11 should be up around Christmas, I hope. Also, I'm doing a music video for the Out of the Blue series, which I hope will be finished then too, as an extra Christmas present for my readers - I'll let you know when it's finished.Until next time, please, REVIEW!

/Ida

* * *


	11. The other side

**Come What May**

Chapter 11 – The other side.

DISCLAIMER: Buffy the Vampire Slayer belongs to Joss Whedon, and Harry Potter to J.K. Rowling. I don't own anything…

RATING: PG-13 (T) to R (M) - violence, language, angst, horror, possible mild sexual interactions, etc. If you can watch BTVS/AtS and read HP, I doubt you'll have any problem with this story.

TIMELINE: AU. Part 4 in the OOTB-series. Takes place during the Prisoner of Azkaban, the Goblet of Fire and includes missing moments from the Order of the Phoenix. It begins at Hogwarts, wizarding time, and then as it switches to Sunnydale time, we jump to where the epilogue to "Never the Same" (Part 3) left off.

SUMMARY: BTVS/HP crossover. When Dumbledore arrives at Buffy's and Remus' doorstep, they are both very surprised, but agree to come back with him to the wizarding world and protect Harry Potter from Sirius Black, the man responsible for the murders of Peter Pettigrew and Harry's parents. Sirius has somehow managed to escape prison, out for revenge...but so is Buffy and Remus. How will all this mess end?

PAIRING: Buffy/Remus

**Special Thanks to:** **My Beta -** CharmedChick

* * *

**A/N:** The last paragraph in this chapter might be kind of a spoiler for the future, so if you want to be completely left in the dark, don't read it.

* * *

"I am so glad I'm not in school anymore," Buffy sighed, throwing herself onto the bed besides an amused Remus. 

"Really?"

"Yep," Buffy said, rolling over, so she was laying on her stomach, resting her head against her arms. "All that homework...not something I miss."

Remus grinned. "Yes...all the students are rather stressed out. Neville almost had a nervous breakdown yesterday in the hallway, and I heard rumors that even the ever-so-studious Miss Granger dropped Divination."

Buffy sat up. "No!" She gasped. "Is it true?"

Remus nodded. "Oh, yes. The story is all over the castle - I'm surprised you haven't heard it."

"I have been busy!" Buffy defended herself.

Remus raised an eyebrow, and Buffy bit her lip, looking up at her husband slowly, with a small shrug. Remus eyes narrowed.

"What did you do?"

"So!" Buffy said, suddenly cheery. "Do we have any special plans for Easter?"

"Don't try to change the subject," Remus laughed. "What did you do?"

"Promise you won't get mad?"

"Promise."

"Pinky swear?"

Remus rolled his eyes. â€œYes, pinky swear."

"Well...you know Snape has been stalking us? And that evil comment about our kids? Totally out of line, by the way - "

" - Yes...?"

"Yeah, well, I decided to put a stop to it."

Remus lips twitched. "Oh, really?"

"Mhm."

"And...?"

"And what?" Buffy said, all too innocently.

Remus groaned. "Buffy, we are supposed to set a good example."

"I never said anything!" Buffy protested.

"You didn't have to. Your face has said it all."

Buffy just grinned widely.

* * *

April first. 

Everyone was sitting quietly eating breakfast in the Great Hall. The two Weasley twins - the birthday boys of the day - were whispering conspiratorially with Lee, obviously up to no good. Suddenly, the doors slammed open and Snape stepped through, black eyes shooting lightning, as he stalked over to the Gryffindor table. Everyone gasped.

"What. Did. You. Do?" He hissed at the Weasley twins who just gawked at Snape's appearance. His hair was flashing in all of the colors of the rainbow, as did his robes. On the back, you could read different insults, (also read out loud by a magical girly voice), which switched every thirty seconds.

_'Shampoo doesn't like me!'_

_'I need some love!' _

_'Greasy git of the dungeons searches for greasier git of either gender. Love of dangerous chemicals and an adventurous streak in the bed chamber required.'_

_'I need facial surgery!'_

_'I have to stop stalking the innocents, but my feet don't agree with me!'_

_'Scratch my butt!'_

_'Danger! Danger! Children, beware!'_

_'Move it, Batman-wannabe coming through!'_

Remus gave Buffy - who was desperately trying to hold in her laughter (Sarah, Phoebe, and the rest of the Hall's occupants, had already given up) - an incredulous look.

"I'm not even going to ask how you managed this."

"DETENTION!" Snape yelled at the Weasley twins, who had fallen over and were rolling on the floor. "AND TWO HUNDRED POINTS FROM GRYFFINDOR!"

That shut them up. "But p-professor Snape, we didn't do it!" They protested. "Honestly!"

"If we had, we would have wanted - "

" - everyone - "

" - to know it!"

Snape sneered. "Reverse it," he hissed. "Now!"

Buffy stood up and quickly hurried over. She hadn't meant for the twins to get the blame.

"Ahem, Severus," she said, smiling politely. "Not to be rude, but I doubt the twins could have pulled this off. Everyone is always talking about how useless they are in classes."

Fred and George let out sounds of protests, but a look from their other defense professor, who had followed his wife down, shut them up.

"I have to agree," Remus said. "Several color switching charms, not to mention the charms for the voice over and the text, all in sync, not to mention the power needed to have it last. And, this must have affected your whole wardrobe."

Snape narrowed his eyes, and spun around, leaning down so his nose almost touched Remus.

"You seem to know an awful lot about this, Lupin," he sneered.

Remus rolled his eyes. "It really doesn't take much to figure out that if only one of your robes had been affected, you would have picked another one," he said. "And any qualified wizard could have figured out what charms were needed."

"But then I do not think you as a qualified wizard - in fact, I don't think you're worthy to be called wizard at all, you bloody beast of a w - "

" - HEY!" Buffy interrupted. "Stop accusing my husband - and the twins - of something you can't prove!"

Dumbledore joined them, eyes twinkling. "Mrs Lupin is correct. Unless you have further proof as to who has done this, I suggest we all go on our merry ways." He looked Snape's appearance over. "I don't think it will last more than twenty-four hours."

Snape spluttered. "Twenty-four hours?! You expect me to look like this all day?"

"Unless you want to go naked," Buffy muttered.

Most of the hall looked slightly green.

"Now, now," Dumbledore admonished lightly. "No need to antagonize poor Severus further. And two hundred points to Gryffindor." The Gryffindor hourglass in the entrance hall (which looked quite empty due to Snape's wrongfully executed 'vengeance') filled back up to the point it had been earlier, and the Potions Master gave the Headmaster a dirty look before stalking out of the hall.

Potions classes were canceled that day, to everybody's relief.

* * *

During the Easter holidays, no one saw as much as a glimpse of any member of the Lupin family in the castle. When knocking on their office - and their quarters too, for that matter - no one answered, to Neville's (and Harry's) disappointment. Finally, the two boys asked their Head of House about where they'd gone. 

Professor McGonagall frowned. "Really. You can't expect them to stay in the castle during the holidays. They are a family, and with two children at that! They need some time for themselves, I'd imagine."

"But they stayed during Christmas," Harry said, disappointed. He'd hoped (as had Oliver and the rest of the team) for some last minute pointers before the last Quidditch game of the season - the battle of the Quidditch cup - took place. "Where are they, anyway?" He wondered, thinking they ought to have told him. They were practically family...

McGonagall didn't answer, but simply bent over to correct some essays.

* * *

"We wish you a happy Easter, we wish you a happy Easter..." 

Remus lips twitched as he regarded his wife who was rummaging around on the second floor to the Shrieking Schack were the Lupins had taken up residence for the holidays.

"That melody is for Christmas, honey," he muttered.

"Details, details," Buffy snorted. "It works for everything."

"Mum! Dad!" Sarah said, peeking her head into the room. "Can Phoebe and I go to Hogsmeade? We're bored."

"Not alone, you aren't," Remus said, standing up, stretching out his limbs. "I'll go with you. Buffy?"

"Nah. I think I'll stay. I might go down to Hagrid's."

Remus nodded, taking each of his children in hand, carefully walking down the mended - but still fragile - staircase.

"Be back before dark!"

* * *

Buffy pounded on the half-giants door. "Hagrid! It's me, Buffy! You want some company?" 

She heard some shuffling, and a dog barking from behind the door, and soon, the man stood towering in the way too short opening. "Buffy!" He said, sounding delighted. 'Come 'n, come 'n. Cake?"

"No, thank you," Buffy said quickly, remembering Hagrid's idea of cake (or rather rocks) all too well. "But some tea would be fine. Or coffee."

"No coffee. But 'ave tea." Hagrid opened the cupboard to take out a mug, and for some reason, Buffy's spider sense started tingling.

"What have you got in there, Hagrid?"

Hagrid looked surprised. "In here? Nuthin' but cups an' stuff like that."

"So no hidden dragons?" Buffy said teasingly, relaxing. Hagrid was an awful liar, so if he had something illegal in there, she'd know.

"No. I had one, a couple o' years ago, but, he had ta be moved.

"You had a dragon?" Buffy said.

"Yep," Hagrid said wistfully. "A sweet little thing. Norbert."

Buffy hid an amused smile behind her cup.

* * *

Two days after the holidays, Remus entered the hospital wing, looking for Sarah and Phoebe, who'd once again been watched over by Madame Pomfrey, as she mostly did when they taught classes. "Poppy!" He said. 

"Over here," her voice said. "Behind the curtains."

Remus walked over, trying not to blink as she saw her two patients. A Gryffindor fourth year (Cormac McLaggen, if he remembered correctly) and a Slytherin sixth year, both scowling at each other, while the school nurse were checking over the leeks sprouting out their ears. The two were obviously in the middle of an argument. Or a discussion.

"You Gryffindors thinks you're so good," the Slytherin said, almost on the point of yelling (he obviously had some trouble hearing) "Just wait until Slytherin takes the cup."

"I have to agree that Gryffindor is a little too self-absorbed," McLaggen told the Slytherin (just as loud, if not louder) to Remus surprise. "But not all Gryffindors are like that. Me, for example. If you snakes win it will be because Wood screwed up. The team needs someone better in the goals than him. Like me," McLaggen sniffed. "I've tried to talk to him, but he won't listen. His ego will be his downfall."

Remus tried not to snort. Oliver Wood was a very good keeper. - probably good enough to go professional. Loads better than this McLaggen thought. He vaguely remembered his uncle, Tiberius, from when he himself had been a first year, and Tiberius a seventh year. He had, too, thought he was 'all that', and had, in fact, lost Gryffindor the cup.

"Ow, woman! Stop poking me in the ear!" The Slytherin cried.

Remus coughed.

Poppy gave him a tired look. "The children are in my office."

Remus raised an eyebrow. "You dared leave Sarah there, after what happened last time?" Last time Poppy had left Sarah and Phoebe in her office, it had looked like a war zone. Poppy had almost had an heart attack, and, it resulted in her refusing to watch the kids for a month, which she 'needed to recover.'

"It's not like I had much choice in the matter. I can't have them in the wing when I try to do my work. Stop fiddling with the leek! You'll make it worse!" She snapped at McLaggen.

Remus lips twitched and he quickly turned around, walking towards the office, where, hopefully, Sarah and Phoebe were sitting peacefully.

Behaving.

* * *

"Go Gryffindor, go Gryffindor," Sarah chanted, running around like a mad-man, waving with a Gryffindor scarf, in the Lupins' quarters, the night before the last game. 

"Sarah, bed, now. You'll wake Phoebe," Buffy admonished.

"But mu-um."

"Or else I won't let you see the game tomorrow."

Sarah quickly dropped the scarf and ran into the bathroom, grabbing her toothbrush. "Sorry," she said.

Remus rolled his eyes, picking up the scarf from the floor and hanging it on Sarah's bedpost.

"She'll be the death of me," he muttered.

Buffy grinned, walking towards the window, looking out. "She hasn't killed us yet."

Remus wrapped her arms around her waist, and Buffy leaned back, sighing contentedly. "The year has gone by so quickly. And still we haven't managed to catch Sirius. Maybe it was a mistake coming here. I mean, really. What good have we done?"

"For one thing, made the students catch up with all they've missed, and more," Remus said. "Also, I think we've done wonders for poor Neville's self esteem, and Harry has found his Godmother. He probably feels a lot closer to his parents than before."

"You're right. I'm just a bit broody."

"G'night!" Sarah called, slamming the bathroom door closed. Remus winced. "Sarah, what did we say about being quiet?"

"Sorry. But no worries. Phoebe sleeps like a rock."

Buffy grinned. "Goodnight, sweetie."

"Goodnight," Remus echoed. "We should probably go to bed too."

"Yeah," Buffy said, turning away from the window and facing her husband, placing a soft kiss on his lips. "Quidditch tomorrow. Better be alert. In case of an attack. Or something."

"Or something," Remus agreed.

They pulled down the blinders, completely unaware they just missed the meeting between a cat and a very familiar grim-looking dog, who were both entering the Shrieking Shack by the Whomping Willow entrance...

* * *

Padfoot sniffed the air inside the Shack, sensing a familiar smell but not quite able to place it... Oh, well. The dog shrugged, and soon, a tall, but thin man stood in its place, looking around. It was just as bad looking as he remembered. Worse, actually. And those stairs looked like they'd fall down any second. Too bad. If he remembered correctly, it was a king sized bed on the second floor. Although it had probably become rotten by now... 

A loud miaow interrupted him from his thoughts, and he spun around, grinning, his teeth glinting in the light of the moon outside.

"Here, kitty, kitty." He stretched out a hand, and the ugly cat jumped into the convicts arms, purring in delight as Sirius scratched him behind the ear.

"I don't think Wormtail is in here," he said in a scratchy voice. "We should leave." Crookshank gave him a reprimanding look, jumping down onto the dusty floor, and prancing up the gangly looking stairs, disappearing from view.

Sirius eyes narrowed. He was up there...?

He turned back into Padfoot, and carefully put a paw on the first step. It seemed stable enough... The dog seemed to shrug again, and quickly followed its companion upwards. And its jaw dropped. Padfoot quickly became Sirius again and he looked around the second floor in wonder.

"Bloody hell," he muttered. "Talk about renovation..."

The second floor was nothing like he remembered. In fact, it was beautiful. And obviously inhabited. Even the sheets on a large bed were rumpled, revealing that someone - or someones - had recently slept there. His eyes narrowed, and he turned back to Padfoot ones again, sniffing. The familiar smell was stronger up here. And with another 'pop', the dog became Sirius. Again. "Buffy and Moony..." He mumbled. "I should have known..." He walked over to the bed, laying down slowly. It had been a long time since he'd had a real bed...Buffy and Remus were obviously not coming back tonight...and he was so tired. He looked bleerily at the furry cat who was yawning by his feet. "Wake me if you hear anything," he muttered. And promptly fell asleep...

_...He was standing on a big field. All around him, people were fighting, dying in front of his eyes. Suddenly, he saw Lily and James being struck down by Peter Pettigrew._

_"NO!" Sirius screamed, and sprinted towards his rat-like 'friend' as fast as he could. Soon, he had him cornered._

_"HOW COULD YOU?" Sirius yelled. "WE WERE YOUR FRIENDS!"_

_Peter just smiled cruelly, and then pointed at something behind Sirius' back. Sirius turned around, and his eyes widened in shock and fear. Eliza was standing there, bound from head to toe, pale, screaming his name: "SIRIUS!"_

_With a cry of rage, Sirius turned back to Peter, to finish him of, once and for all, only to find his 'friend' point his own wand at Eliza._

_"BOMBARDA!"_

_"NOOOOOOO!"_

_It was too late. Sirius watched in horror as Eliza was hit by the spell, and exploded in a cloud of smoke and fire..._

_"ELIZA!"_

_Sirius sat up in his bed, panting heavily, sweat spreading on his chest and forehead._

_With a groan, he sank back down on the mattress. The nightmare again - he didn't know how long he'd suffered from it...Ever since he'd escaped from Azkaban, probably._

_With a sigh, he closed his eyes again, hoping that this time, he would get at least a few hours of some pitiful sleep..._

_...He was standing on a big field. All around him, people were fighting, dying in front of his eyes. Suddenly, he saw Lily and James being struck down by Peter Pettigrew._

_"NO!" Sirius screamed, and sprinted towards his rat-like 'friend' as fast as he could. Soon, he had him cornered._

_"HOW COULD YOU?" Sirius yelled. â€œWE WERE YOUR FRIENDS!"_

_Peter just smiled cruelly, and then pointed at something behind Sirius' back. Sirius turned around, and his eyes widened in shock and fear. Eliza was standing there, bound from head to toe, pale, screaming his name: _

_"SIRIUS!"_

_With a cry of rage, Sirius turned back to Peter, to finish him of, once and for all, only to find his 'friend' point his own wand at Eliza._

_"BOMBARDA!"_

_"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"_

_Sirius watched in horror as the spell came closer and closer to its target. But right before it hit, a dazzling, glowing light showed up, in front of Eliza shielding her. Sirius had to close his eyes; it was too bright for him to look at. As he opened them again, he looked around in shock. He was no longer on the field, but instead, he was, in lack of a better word, soaring on clouds...Literally. In front of him, stood a woman surrounded by a soft, light glow. She was dressed in all white, and her dark hair falling in waves across her shoulders. Her deep blue eyes were twinkling lovingly and Sirius felt...safe._

_"Hello, Sirius," the woman said, and Sirius turned back to her, his own eyes widening comically as he sensed a sort of familiarity coming from her, and realised he knew who she was._

_"Eliza?" He whispered, not really daring to believe it, but she nodded._

_"It's me."_

_"But...how...what?" Sirius stammered, and Eliza laughed._

_"A miracle," she said, and then she suddenly became serious._

_"We need to talk. I need you to understand something. And to do something for me."_

_"Anything," Sirius said instantly, still in shock from what was happening._

_"Don't dwell on the past," Eliza said softly. "What has happened has happened, and nothing you do can, or will, change that. I'm not coming back, Sirius, I'm gone. But you're not, and you need to move on."_

_"Wha...-"_

_"I'm in a better place," Eliza continued, not caring about Sirius' dazed input. "And I'm happy, but I won't be able to fully enjoy my afterlife and move on before you do. And don't be too hard on Buffy and Remus. They haven't had it easy either."_

_"I-I don't understand," Sirius said, confused, trying to make everything sink in.. "Are you...in some sort of...heaven?"_

_Eliza pondered on that for a second._

_"Not heaven exactly," she said. "But I guess you could call it that - Although there's no God, or angels with harps and violins." She smiled wryly. "Where I am...there's this...spring, which you can look into, relive your memories from your past life, observe the present and see the future. But we're not allowed to interfere."_

_Sirius eyes widened._

_"But isn't - " _

_" - That what I'm doing right now?" Eliza asked, smiling. "Well, yes, and I probably will get a scolding for it, but this is necessary - for both of our sakes."_

_Sirius nodded slowly, still rather confused. Eliza grinned._

_"I'm sure you have a lot of questions, right? Unfortunately, I'm not allowed to answer all of them. The human mind is not supposed to know about the next world until you get there yourself. If the living knew too much, they'd all just want to die, and not live on."_

_"It's that good, huh?" Sirius said, and Eliza grinned._

_"Yeah. Although if you die before it's your time, you just come to this grey, boring, foggy place, where there's nothing to do, and you just sit on your butt in what feels like forever until your time have come, and you're allowed to move on."_

_Sirius eyes widened._

_"How do you know that? Were you - ?"_

_" - No, I was not there, but I've heard stories from those who have," Eliza said._

_"Oh..." Sirius said, staring wistfully up in Eliza's face, as if he was wishing his 'time' already had come, and Eliza was only here to collect him._

_Eliza smiled sadly. "I understand it's easier said than done, but you need to let go of me, Sirius."_

_"But it's so hard..."_

_"I know. That's why I came into your dream world - or world of nightmare, more like, to talk to you, give you some closure, and a kick in the butt."_

_Sirius chuckled._

_"Thanks."_

_"You're welcome. Seriously though, let's, for lack of better words, move on. Give me a question, and I'll try to answer."_

_Sirius hesitated._

_"Come on, fire away."_

_"How did you...die? Were you - "_

_" - Blown to pieces, like in your nightmare?" Eliza asked casually, and Sirius flushed, looking down._

_"No, I was not," Eliza answered herself. "Don't worry - my body was still intact after I died. A little crushed, but still intact," she reassured him._

_"Then...how did it happen?"_

_"Well..." Eliza seemed to think for a moment, looking slightly dazed, as if she was looking at something only she could see, reliving a memory._

_"When the street exploded...the shockwave threw me backwards through the air...I landed on my back - I think my spine broke...and I felt rather dizzy, so my head probably took a bad hit as well - and then I think I was crushed to death. The last thing I remember is seeing this huge block of stone fall towards me, and after that everything went rather black."_

_Sirius was taken aback at how indifferently she said this, as if she didn't care, and he closed his eyes in sadness._

_"Oh, cheer up, Siri," Eliza said, slapping him on the back. "I've had a long time to grieve over myself, and as you can see, I'm perfectly happy."_

_Sirius opened his eyes again, and took a step back in surprise, as he saw that Eliza was now sitting down at the edge of a cloud, dangling her legs in the air. _

_"Come on, sit."_

_Sirius moved slowly, hesitantly, towards her. Sirius wasn't afraid of highs, per se, but this was more than just high. Eliza rolled her eyes at him, before dragging him down beside her._

_"Wuss," she muttered. "Anyway, after I died, or whatever, and my sight cleared, I saw I was standing among these huge mountains, and there was this old, rotting, really - and I mean really - thin bridge over a really wide and deep rift - you couldn't see the bottom. So I did the thing any reasonable dead human being would do."_

_"You ran away screaming?" Sirius asked, dryly. "Ouch..." He glared at Eliza as he robbed his arm where Eliza had hit him. She rolled her eyes._

_"Pussypants," she said. "No, I walked over it."_

_"WHAT?" Sirius exclaimed. "You walked over it?"_

_Eliza shrugged._

_"Why not? I thought that since I was already dead, what was the worst thing that could happen? Anyway, I crossed it, and now I'm in 'heaven', end of story. Of course, I didn't know that if I had not been deemed worthy to pass, the bridge would have broken down with me on it, and I would have fallen down in some hell dimension - and I think I've already told you too much about the afterlife...you're supposed to stop me when I start babbling about things I shouldn't!"_

_Sirius had grown rather pale when Eliza added the part of a hell dimension, and just blinked stupidly in answer. Eliza rolled her eyes again._

_"Anyway, as I have told you, repeatedly, I need you to move on. Get on with your life - find someone new to love," she said, earning herself a glare from her living ex-boyfriend. "Although I think you should have a long shower, a haircut and a shave first. 'Cause the way you look like now - it does nothing to impress the ladies." Sirius flushed again._

_"And stop with that damn flushing and blushing! It was cute when Remus did it, but on you it just looks stupid."_

_"Well, jeez, thanks," Sirius muttered, giving her an angry glare._

_"You're welcome," Eliza said chirpily, making Sirius sigh._

_"You know, I think I liked you better when you were alive. You weren't so...chirpy then."_

_Eliza grinned._

_"Well, spending time at a chirpy place for like an eternity does that to you. And you can't exactly say the time I lived in was very cheerful - with the war, and everyone dying left and right. At any rate, what's holding you back from moving on? Apart from your need of revenge. Me?" Eliza asked. "Well, now you have my encouragement, so wake up and get going already. I was your first love, I get that, you were mine too - " She paused. " - Well, actually, you were my only love, but that's beside the point. The point is, the first, true love is always special, and it can be hard to move on from that. But you can love more than one person in a lifetime, Siri," Eliza said softly. _

_"We did not get the happy ending we wished for, but we will - if not in the next lifetime, then in the next again. But we will meet again, somehow. So get a move on, because if you don't, it will be all thunder and lightning instead of soft and fluffy clouds next time - literally. You get what I'm saying?- Eliza asked threateningly. _

_Sirius gulped._

_"I think I got the main idea, yeah."_

_"Good." She stood up, as did Sirius, and the two ex- lovers looked each other deeply in the eyes._

_"I'm going to kill him, you know," Sirius said, suddenly._

_Eliza gave him a sad look, knowing all too well who he was talking about. "I know," she said quietly. "And I don't blame you. I understand if you have to...in order to move on. Just...don't lose yourself in the process. Or get yourself killed, for that matter. We don't want to see you on the other side for a long time."_

_Sirius snorted. "Have some faith in me, 'liza."_

_"I do. I always have. But I also know you." She reached a pale hand forwards, touching his cheek. "And I'll never forget you, Sirius," she whispered, and their lips met, for one last time._

_"I'll always love you," Sirius said, his voice cracking slightly, his eyes filling with tears._

_"Not only me, I hope," Eliza said quietly, trying to smile, and not show how much saying that hurt her. "I love you too. And I will always be in your heart and you in mine. But you need to wake up now."_

_Sirius watched as she started to fade away._

_"No, wait!" He took a step forward, his handing reaching out to catch her, but he was met by nothing but air, and he stumbled slightly, loosing his balance, and he fell..._

...Onto the floor in the Shrieking Shack and he woke up.

"Damn it," he cursed.

Crookshanks gave him a tired look.

Sirius grinned at him, blinking away his tears. "Oh, don't look at me like that," he said, ruffling up his fur, making the cat let out a sound of protest.

For the first time, in a very long time, he felt hopeful.

* * *

_Eliza smiled, her dark blue eyes a little teary, as she watched at the scene in front of her, in the spring. She knew Sirius would be alright now._

"_Are you ready?" A voice asked behind her, and Eliza turned around._

"As _ready as I'll ever be," she said, and met sparkling green eyes._

"_Good," Lily said, taking Eliza's arm, and leading her away from the spring, and towards a man with messy black hair and hazel eyes._

"_Milady," he said, taking Eliza's hand and kissing theatrically. Eliza giggled._

"_Stop that, James."_

"Y_eah, stop that,"__ Lily said. "You're only supposed to kiss my hand, not hers."_

_Eliza laughed, before she grew solemn. _

"_I'm going to miss you guys," she said. Lily hugged her._

"I _know. We're going to miss you too. But we'll meet again. This is your time. Not ours. We still have to watch over Harry. But your mission's done, and you managed fine."_

_Eliza smiled, a little teary eyed._

"_You think?"_

"_Yep," James said. "You got Padfoot back on track. Or well, at least pulled him back from the brink of insanity. That's not an easy task. I'd say an Order of Merlin, first class. Remus tried the same accomplishment for years and never succeeded."_

"_Well, he had to keep two persons from doing something stupid," Lily cut in. "Not just one."_

_James looked a little uncomfortable. "Well...I grew up, didn't I?"_

_Lily snorted. "As long as you think so, honey. Seriously though - no pun intended - it obviously takes a woman to keep a man on the road."_

_Eliza laughed. "Absolutely." Then she sighed._

"_Well," she said, smiling at Lily and James. "This is it, friends. The end of the road."_

_Lily shook her head._

"_No. Not the end - the beginning of a new era." She gave Eliza a slight push. "Go get reborn now."_

_Eliza smiled, and with a deep breath she turned to the shimmering archway that had seemingly showed up out of nowhere. She turned around one last time, giving her friends a wave, before stepping through, disappearing out of sight._

* * *

**A/N:** Stop reading here, if you don't want to be spoiled.**

* * *

A universe away, a few years later.**

"Congratulations, it's a girl," the doctor said with a smile, and placed the newly born baby tenderly in her father's waiting arms. "What are you going to call her?"

Sirius looked down in the baby's deep blue eyes.

"Elizabeth," he said. "I'm going to call her Elizabeth."

And the baby smiled.

* * *

**A/N: **Merry Christmas everybody! (Just so you know, I **might** add an extra thing at the end to this chapter later) I hope you liked the re-appearance of Eliza, and i'ld love it if you REVIEW. Also, the musicvideo to the Out of the Blue series is up - I'd love if you'd watch, rate and comment on it. Link is on my LJ and/or in my profile page.

/Ida

* * *


	12. Cornelius Fudge

**Come What May**

Chapter 12 – Cornelius Fudge.

DISCLAIMER: Buffy the Vampire Slayer belongs to Joss Whedon, and Harry Potter to J.K. Rowling. I don't own anything…

RATING: PG-13 (T) to R (M) - violence, language, angst, horror, possible mild sexual interactions, etc. If you can watch BTVS/AtS and read HP, I doubt you'll have any problem with this story.

TIMELINE: AU. Part 4 in the OOTB-series. Takes place during the Prisoner of Azkaban, the Goblet of Fire and includes missing moments from the Order of the Phoenix. It begins at Hogwarts, wizarding time, and then as it switches to Sunnydale time, we jump to where the epilogue to "Never the Same" (Part 3) left off.

SUMMARY: BTVS/HP crossover. When Dumbledore arrives at Buffy's and Remus' doorstep, they are both very surprised, but agree to come back with him to the wizarding world and protect Harry Potter from Sirius Black, the man responsible for the murders of Peter Pettigrew and Harry's parents. Sirius has somehow managed to escape prison, out for revenge...but so is Buffy and Remus. How will all this mess end?

PAIRING: Buffy/Remus

**Special Thanks to:** **My Beta -** CharmedChick

* * *

**A/N:** Read the Authors Note at the end, please!

* * *

"And here are the Gryffindors!" yelled Lee Jordan, commenting on the last Quidditch game of the season. "Potter, Bell, Johnson, Spinnet, Weasley, Weasley, and Wood. Widely acknowledged as the best team Hogwarts has seen in a good few years - "

Buffy and Remus grinned at each other, as the black boy's comments were drowned in Slytherin 'boos'.

"Brings back memories, doesn't it?" Remus muttered.

"Yes," Buffy agree. "Though Sirius' commentary were a lot more colorful - " she stopped herself. "Sorry. I wasn't...I mean..."

Remus clutched her hand. "It's alright, Buffy. We oughtn't stop thinking of our Hogwarts years because of Sirius. It's stupid. It makes us feel angry thinking of him, but at the same time, he's in practically every good memory I have." He shrugged. "I dunno. I guess, it just feels like by not thinking about them, we let Sirius win."

Buffy smiled slightly. "I understand you. Maybe...maybe we should...try to separate the Sirius we remember, and Sirius the betrayer in our minds. Otherwise...well, sometimes, I feel like I'm going crazy, trying to come up with a reason for Sirius doing what he did. It's easier pretending he's two different people, and that the real Sirius is...well, dead."

Remus smiled back, placing a soft kiss on Buffy's forehead. "You are truly brilliant," he muttered. "Extraordinary."

Buffy grinned, and then rose to her feet, cheering, as Alicia Spinnet scored, bringing the score to seventy-ten, Gryffindor's favor. She pointedly ignored the glare McGonagall sent her from the other side of the stands for 'taking-sides-when-she-was-a-professor-who-was-supposed-to-be-impartial.' However, moments later, after Malfoy had grabbed Harry's broom, holding him back from going after the Snitch, McGonagall seemed to be of an entirely different opinion, as she shouted and booed with the rest of the stands.

As it was, despite Slytherin's dirty tactics ever since the beginning of the game (even though the Lions had had its small moments of not-so-fair-play as well), Harry caught the snitch, winning Gryffindor the game. Buffy threw herself around Remus shoulders.

"YES!" She yelled at the top of her lungs, making Remus wince. "WHOOOHO! GRYFFINDOR ROCKS!" The stands were in an uproar - the Quidditch cup had just gone to the Lions. Remus smirked a little as he saw Oliver Wood run crying with happiness, embracing Harry, sobbing. Honestly...he was worse than James had been...

As usual, he felt a little sting in his chest at the thought of his late friend, but now, after 'clearing the air a bit,' minutes before, it wasn't too bad. And before his mind traveled to Lily, and Peter, and Sirius, and all other things he associated with Prongs, Sarah grabbed him by the arm.

"Come on," she said impatiently. "Let's go down and congratulate Harry."

Remus looked down on the field, swamped over with Gryffindor supporters, all the team players - among them Harry - hoisted up on their shoulders. McGonagall was crying even harder than Wood, drying her eyes on a huge red and gold flag.

"Do you want to live tomorrow?" He said amusedly. "If we go down there, we risk being squashed to death."

Sarah pouted, before catcalling loudly, as Harry lifted up the giant Quidditch cup in the air.

* * *

May came and went, and the term moved into June, and with it, came the exams. The second to last (for the third years) was Defence Against the Dark Arts. After first having to pass an obstacle course in the sun, were they had to face different creatures they'd read about, and answering a question sheet, along with demonstrating spells they'd learned, it was time for those who'd taken the extra DADA course to pass yet another exam, for bonus points. 

Harry had to duel against Remus, using all the spells he'd learned, and then face off against Buffy in martial arts. Of course, Remus didn't use any spells Harry hadn't learned how to block, and Buffy held back quite a bit, and did not use any advanced moves, but he passed with flying colors. After that, he had to face them both, at the same time. As he left the Room of Requirement, he was grinning from ear to ear, feeling very pleased with himself.

* * *

"It's over!" Buffy cheered, kissing Remus soundly. 

"YUCK!" Phoebe and Sarah exclaimed.

"What is?"

"The exams of course! I mean, I thought studying for them was bad enough when I went here, but actually be in charge - " she shuddered theatrically, making Remus laugh.

"Anyway," Buffy continued, "I'm going to the kitchens for some food."

"Why not just call on a house elf?" Remus wondered, sitting down on their bed, with Phoebe in his lap, before summoning a book."

Buffy shrugged. "I feel like a walk. I've got all this pent up energy I need to get rid of."

* * *

Buffy was on her way back to their quarters when she heard an all to familiar drawl, and she quickly slipped behind a statue, listening Draco Malfoy and his goons as they passed. 

"...it was so easy to get that ugly beast prosecuted. All it took was a letter to my father, he took care of the rest. Of course, I also had to act a bit, pretending my arm hurt. But it was nothing, really. I can't wait to see that big oaf's face tomorrow morning, when that Hippogriff has been put down like the animal it is."

Buffy's eyes narrowed.

* * *

"I can't let them execute Buckbeak!" Buffy told Remus after dinner, sounding upset. "It isn't fair! We all know badass wannabe and badass wannabiggerbe are behind this." 

Remus blinked. "Huh?"

"Draco Malfoy and Lucius Malfoy, of course!"

"Oh, right." Remus sighed. "To be quite honest, I'm not sure what we can do."

"Well, something," Buffy muttered. "I'll go down there later."

Remus nodded. "Do that. Just don't do anything stupid."

Buffy grinned. "You know me."

"Exactly."

"Hey!"

Remus grinned. "I'm sure you'll do fine. I mean, we've fought hell beasts and uber vamps and lots of other scary monsters that go creeping in the night. What are a few stuck up Ministry officials against that?"

* * *

After they'd put the kids to bed, Buffy left their quarters again, and the castle to go down to Hagrid's hut. Remus had said he'd 'watch the proceedings' and 'keep an eye out for Black at the same time' by looking at the map. "In bed," he'd hastily added, when Buffy'd commanded him to rest. "Full moon tonight, after all." 

When she neared the hut, she saw the Hippogriff, Buckbeak, stand tied up in the pumpkin patch. Through the closed door, she heard someone - Minister Fudge - finish reading the official notice of the execution, in a droning, monotone voice that was almost as bad as Professor Binns', and almost put Buffy to sleep. She knocked on the door, and opened it, without waiting for an answer.

"Headmaster Dumbledore," she nodded respectfully at him, "Minster," she gave the large man, with an axe swung over his shoulder, a glare. "Mr supposedly-reformed-Death Eater - " Fudge spluttered indignantly, " - and...whoever you are," she added with a confused look at the last man in the room.

"Right. What seems to be the problem here?!" She said brightly.

"Miss Summers - " Fudge said condescendingly.

"- Mrs."

"Excuse me?"

"Mrs. I'm a Mrs. nowadays, sir," Buffy said, smiling sweetly at the slowly reddening Minster of Magic. "Mrs. Summers-_Lupin_. Haven't you heard?"

"Yes, well...Mrs. Summers-Lupin. You are currently in the way of official Ministry business."

"Oh, right! The execution of the Hippogriff. Of course. Sorry. Not gonna happen."

Hagrid let out what sounded like a choked cry.

"You see, Minister, I am afraid I will have to object," Buffy said smoothly. "Several eye-witnesses on the scene of the...eh...I guess we could call it 'crime' for the simplicity of it - states that Mr Draco Malfoy was insulting the Hippogriff in question, even after professor Hagrid told the student body of the consequences. Therefore, Buckbeak cannot be blamed for his actions, which means, your official Ministry business has got nothing to do here. Unless you want to interrogate Draco, who is the real person at fault here. So shoo!" She made a waving motion towards the door.

Fudge narrowed his eyes at her. "Well, I am not certain what eye-witnesses you have interrogated, but all the students I have been in contact with claim the opposite. The Hippogriff attacked for no reason, and as such is a danger to us all."

Buffy raised a hand, as if being in a classroom. In the corner, she saw Dumbledore's eyes twinkling in amusement.

"I have a question, Minister. Which students?"

Fudge blinked. "Beg your pardon?"

"Which students have you questioned?"

"Well...I-I didn't personally question them, but Lucius Malfoy assured me - "

" - Lucius Malfoy? Was he at the 'crime-scene' in question?"

"Well, n-no..."

"Then I don't see what this has got to do with him, considering he is the father of his very, very spoiled child, the so-called-'victim' in this mess, and as such, partial. Which means, whatever testimony he has given you, is not valid."

Fudge spluttered again, his face now a not-so-flattering tomato red. "Now, see here! Lucius Malfoy is an upstanding citizen and - "

" - also the one who slips you money under the desk," Buffy interjected smoothly. "Unofficially, of course."

Her eyes narrowed and she leaned towards the Minister, whispering in his ear: "I am not someone you want to cross, Fudgie," she hissed. "I know where your bodies are buried, and if you want to keep your position as Minister of Magic, you'd better remember that and get your ass of the grounds immediately."

Fudge gulped and gave Buffy a scared look.

The Slayer straightened up and gave him a bright grin, clapping him on the shoulder.

"I am quite certain we understand each other, don't we, Minister?"

Fudge gulped. "Eh...w-well...y-yes. I-I...yes."

"An apology to professor Hagrid would be appropriate, wouldn't it?" Buffy added, while grabbing the official execution notice from his hands, and throwing it into the fire.

"Y-yes, y-yes, of course. The Ministry is most serenely sorry for the trouble we've caused you."

" - And the Hippogriff."

"And the Hippogriff," Fudge said through gritted teeth, glaring at Buffy. "McNair, were going."

Walden McNair and the small member from the Disposal Committee of Dangerous Creatures trailed out of the cabin, looking quite lost. "This is not over, Summers-Lupin!" Fudge spat, swirling around to glare at Buffy, who met his angry eyes calmly. "If you think you can get away with threatening and blackmailing the Ministry of Magic, you are wrong! I will personally make sure your life becomes a living hell!"

"I am afraid I cannot allow you to threaten my staff, Cornelius," Dumbledore spoke up from the corner, making the Minister pale.

"W-well, I-I was n-not..." He seemed to struggle with holding an insult back, his face looking as if he just swallowed something vile. "I-I guess I will just...b-be going now. Good night, Headmaster." He put on his lime green bowler hat and left the hut, clearly a lot more subdued than when he arrived, but at the same time, oozing with repressed anger.

"Well done," Dumbledore said calmly, his soft voice somehow overriding Hagrid's cries of happiness and spluttering of nonsense as he grabbed Buffy in a bear hug, which would have crushed a normal human being, but didn't damage the Slayer at all.

"But I am afraid you have made yourself a life-long enemy in Cornelius Fudge, Buffy," the Headmaster continued. "I will, of course, protect you, as long as you are a professor here, but after that, my power is limited."

Buffy waved it away. "I can deal with Fudge and his Ministry goons, don't you worry, Professor DD." She gave both him and Hagrid a bright grin. "I'll see you at breakfast tomorrow."

As she left Hagrid's hut, she heard, Dumbledore ask Hagrid to put out some tea, as they certainly had things to celebrate. She breathed in the clear night air, lost in thoughts.

As she entered the castle, she almost crashed straight into Remus, who was on his way out.

"Rem!" Buffy said, delighted. "You came to meet me? You'll never believe what I told Fudge - " She got a look at Remus face, pale and drawn.

"What's wrong."

Remus steered Buffy out onto the ground again, lighting up a small flame in his palm, giving them light.

"You know I was watching the marauder's map?"

"Well, yes..."

"Just as you left Hagrid's hut, and I was about to wipe it clean, my eye caught something else," Remus said grimly. "Or rather, someone else."

"I don't understand what you mean..."

"Sirius Black," Remus said, and Buffy gasped. "Is currently in the Whomping Willow. Along with Harry, Ron, Hermione. And Peter Pettigrew."

Buffy paled, and almost stopped. "What?" She breathed.

"I thought the map was malfunctioning at first," Remus continued, ignoring her. "But you know just as well as I do that the map never lies. And I helped make it - I think I'd know if something was wrong with it. There's two explanations, Buffy." He gave her a look out of the corner of his eye, the flame illuminating his tired face.

"But only one that makes sense. Either Peter has been hiding all these years, for some completely mad, unexplainable reason, or...Sirius is innocent."

"...And Peter is the real traitor," Buffy mumbled. "Oh my God...of course. How could we be so stupid?!"

Remus didn't answer, but instead, shot of a spell that hit the knot on the Willow, stilling it.

They quickly entered and hurried down the tunnel. As they entered the Shrieking Shack, and made their way towards the stairs, they heard someone - Hermione - screaming:

"WE'RE UP HERE! WE'RE UP HERE - SIRIUS BLACK - QUICK!"

Remus closed his hand, making the flame go out, and he grabbed his wand, hurrying up the stairwell, Buffy right behind him.

He slammed the door open with a spell.

"EXPELLIARMUS!"

* * *

**A/N:** So sorry about the long wait! I've had lots of homework (still do), and so has my beta. I have found time to do some art for the series as a "forgive-me-present" for you: One wallpaper/colourization with all the characters and wallpapers for the parts of the series that aren't yet posted. Do you want me to publish them all at once now, or do you want me to wait and post them one at the time, in sync with the parts being published? (Either way, I won't publish any until this part is finished) Also, if you want to, go back to the last chapter: A piece has been added to the end. However, it's kind of a spoiler, so if you want to be completely left in the dark, don't.

Please REVIEW and feed my starving muse!

/Ida

* * *


	13. Believe it

**Come What May**

Chapter 13 – Believe it.

DISCLAIMER: Buffy the Vampire Slayer belongs to Joss Whedon, and Harry Potter to J.K. Rowling. I don't own anything…

RATING: PG-13 (T) to R (M) - violence, language, angst, horror, possible mild sexual interactions, etc. If you can watch BTVS/AtS and read HP, I doubt you'll have any problem with this story.

TIMELINE: AU. Part 4 in the OOTB-series. Takes place during the Prisoner of Azkaban, the Goblet of Fire and includes missing moments from the Order of the Phoenix. It begins at Hogwarts, wizarding time, and then as it switches to Sunnydale time, we jump to where the epilogue to "Never the Same" (Part 3) left off.

SUMMARY: BTVS/HP crossover. When Dumbledore arrives at Buffy's and Remus' doorstep, they are both very surprised, but agree to come back with him to the wizarding world and protect Harry Potter from Sirius Black, the man responsible for the murders of Peter Pettigrew and Harry's parents. Sirius has somehow managed to escape prison, out for revenge...but so is Buffy and Remus. How will all this mess end?

PAIRING: Buffy/Remus

**Special Thanks to:** **My Beta -** CharmedChick

* * *

Remus swiftly caught the wands that flew out of the hands of their holders, and walked into the room, staring at Sirius. His old friend looked horrible.

His once beautifully black hair hung loosely and matted around his face, reaching his elbows, looking filthy and greasier and more tangled than Snape's had ever. His face was deathly pale and waxy; the only color visible was the dirt standing out as dark smudged spots on his high cheekbones, which the skin was stretched tightly over. His eyes were standing out, grey and fathomless, from his sockets, and shadowed by dark circles and bags, around and under the eyes.

All in all, Remus barely recognised him - not even in the wanted posters had he looked this bad - his once happy, carefree, jubilant friend was a mere shadow of himself, reduced to something that currently looked more like a corpselike skeleton than a human being.

Beside him, he heard Buffy draw in a quiet gasp.

"Oh, my God...Sirius...what has happened to you?"

Harry gave Buffy a look, not understanding why she would care.

"Where is he, Sirius?" Remus said tensely, making the boy's green eyes turn to him, begging for an answer, but Remus had only eyes for Sirius, who for a moment didn't move at all, but then, slowly, raised his hand and pointed towards Ron.

Remus' mind was in a mess of thoughts and theories.

"But then..."

But only one made sense. Just as he and Buffy had discussed on their way to the willow, why would Peter stay hidden for all these years?

"...why hasn't he shown himself before now? Unless..." Remus breathed out, getting ready to speak the only explanation that made complete sense, and, in return, get an answer from Sirius that would either confirm this belief, or deny it, and in consequence, make his world crumble once again. "...unless he was the one...unless you switched...without telling me."

As Sirius slowly nodded, Remus felt a surge of happiness that was threatening to overwhelm him, despite the fact that James and Lily and Sirius had not trusted him enough; despite the fact that the betrayal he'd felt when they'd thought he, Remus, was the traitor, resurfaced; despite the fact that he'd been wrong, about so much - about everything for all these years; despite the fact that he felt so guilty over leaving Sirius to the mercy of the Dementors without bothering to try and find out the truth... None of it mattered right now.

He had his friend back.

He ignored Harry's exclamation of "professor...Remus...Buffy...what's going on?" and instead, lowered his wand, and in two quick strides, he was by Sirius side, and he pulled him to his feet, embracing him like a lifeline - like a long lost brother.

In the background, he heard Buffy sob, and then, he was covered in her weight as well, as she too threw herself into the hug.

"...Oh, Sirius...Sirius...forgive us...Sirius...you're home now...please, forgive us for doubting you..."

"There's nothing to forgive," Sirius muttered, his voice deep and scratchy and rumbled from lack of use other than screaming and crying.

"I DON'T BELIEVE IT!" Hermione suddenly screamed, and the three friends quickly broke up their hug to stare at the children. Ron was leaning hard against the wall behind the bed, looking as if he wished it would open up and swallow him; his eyes wide open and horrified.

Harry was starring at them, slowly shaking his head, as if he didn't want to believe what he was seeing; that what he saw wasn't true - that it was a perfectly good explanation for all of this, but then, that look disappeared, and instead, his green eyes became filled with accusation and disgust.

Hermione was pointing a shaking finger at them, and was yelling - no, shrieking, and refused to back down, even as Remus tried to calm her down. She had reached her breaking point, it seemed, and was panicking, her eyes wild.

"Hermione, calm down..."

"YOU AND HIM!"

"Hermione, listen to me, please!" Remus had to shout to be heard. "I can explain - "

"I trusted you." Remus' and Buffy's heads swirled to stare at Harry, who'd spoken, his voice wavering, and full of fury. "And all the time you've been his friend! All your talk about how you've been fighting demons and vampires in America, and I was so impressed with you both; Buffy, for being the Slayer and my friggin' Godmother, and Remus, for being a werewolf - "

Hermione gasped, and Ron let out a choked whimper.

" - and I didn't hold it against you. I thought it didn't matter. I thought you were human," he spat. "I can't believe I'm that stupid. You've been lying to me, all this time - the entire year. 'Poor ickle Harry, so easy to fool.' Must have given you a good laugh, eh?" He said, his voice bitter.

"You're wrong," Remus said. "You've got it all wrong..."

"We haven't lied to you. We haven't been Sirius's friend, but we are now. Please, let us explain," Buffy was begging, staring at Harry pleadingly. For a moment, she thought she'd gotten through, but then...

"NO!" Hermione screamed. "Don't trust them, Harry! They're trying to trick you again! They've been helping Black get into the castle, they want you dead too!"

Remus closed his eyes, and rubbed his forehead tiredly. "Not at all up to your usual standard, Hermione. Not a single correct answer. We have not been helping Sirius get into the castle and we certainly don't want Harry dead."

"But you're a werewolf..." Her voice was quieter now, trembling. "I don't understand what Harry meant by calling Buffy a Slayer, but you...you're a dark creature."

"Yes," Remus sighed. "I am. At least, by Ministry classification, I am. But that does not mean I'm a bad person."

On the bed, Ron made a valiant effort to get up, but fell back with a whimper of pain. Remus took a step towards him, his eyes concerned, but Ron gasped, "get away from me, werewolf! You're not a person! You're not human!"

Remus face paled, but raised his hand to stop both Buffy and Sirius from speaking, as they obviously intended to defend him.

"No," he said, forcing out a laugh. "I suppose I'm not. After all...I am a beast one day out of the month...that I'm completely harmless the other thirty days or so oughtn't matter."

Harry looked down, seemingly slightly ashamed, and Ron flushed heavily, but Hermione glared at him, crossing her arms. "You're far from harmless.The wolf is always there, isn't it? Lurking..."

"And I don't deny it," Remus said calmly. "But then, I am in control. There are some...some werewolves who let the wolf take over the mind, even when in human form...some who are more beast than human - " he shuddered as he thought of Greyback " - some who enjoy the feeling of power the werewolf give them, those who enjoy inflicting pain on others. But the same can be said of Death Eaters. But note how the Ministry doesn't classify them with five crosses of five in a scale of how dangerous they are."

Sirius actually snorted, and Remus spun to stare at him incredulously.

"Sorry," he rasped out. "But you sounded like such a...professor."

Remus lips actually twitched. It seemed as if Azkaban hadn't damaged Sirius' sense of humor. He wasn't certain whether that was a bad or a good thing.

"Instead," Remus said, turning back to Hermione, who was now looking a little regretful, "they are given jobs high up in the government and are able to roam free. While _beasts_ like myself are forced to go through humiliating examinations and register themselves at the Ministry. While _animals_ like myself have trouble finding jobs despite the fact that I, without a doubt, have a higher IQ than say, Crabbe and Goyle senior, combined."

"That's not so hard," Buffy muttered. Remus gave her a mock glare, and Harry snorted.

Remus smiled at him, glad that it seemed as if he was getting through to the golden trio, all children looking more at ease, but still, slightly wary.

"It really is no wonder that so many werewolves go rogue, and that so many joined Voldemort in the last war. The wizarding world hardly gives us another option. The only reason I am not walking around looking like Sirius all the time - "

" - Oi!"

" - Is because I got a job in the muggle world, and because of people like Dumbledore, who gives us a chance."

"You mean he hired you despite knowing you are werewolf?" Hermione gasped.

"Yes. Now - " he threw each wand back to its owner, ignoring their stunned looks. "You're armed, we're not. Will you let us explain?"

Harry nodded once. "Yes. But if you haven't been helping him," he said, glancing at Sirius, "how did you know he was here?"

"The map," said Lupin. "The Marauder's Map."

Harry nodded in understanding.

"Anyway, I was in my office, looking at Buffy while she eh...dealt...with the Buckbeak problem."

"Yes, we heard!" Hermione exclaimed, giving Buffy a grateful look.

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Why am I not surprised...under the invisibility cloak, I suppose?"

Hermione blushed, as Ron said; "how do you know about the cloak?"

"The number of times I saw James disappearing under it...," Remus said, snorting slightly. "The point is, even ifyou're wearing an Invisibility Cloak, you still show up on the Marauder's Map." He started to pace around the room. "I watched as Buffy arrived and interfered with the execution. I watched as you three left Hagrid's and set off back toward the castle. But you were now accompanied by somebody else."

"What?" said Harry. "No, we weren't!"

"I couldn't believe my eyes," said Lupin, still pacing, and ignoring Harry's interruption. "I thought the map must be malfunctioning. How could he be with you? And then I saw another dot, moving fast toward you, labeled Sirius Black... I saw him collide with you; I watched as he pulled two of you into the Whomping Willow - "

"One of us!" Ron said angrily.

"No, Ron," said Lupin. "Two of you. I watched as Harry and Hermione followed; I hurried out of the castle, met up with Buffy and we came to the same conclusion and we came here."

"What conclusion?" Harry said, more confused for every passing second.

"Do you think I could have a look at the rat?" Remus said evenly, looking at Ron.

"What?" said Ron. "What's Scabbers got to do with it?"

"Everything," Remus said. "Could I see him, please?"

Ron hesitated, then put a hand inside his robes. Scabbers emerged, thrashing desperately; Ron had to seize his long bald tail to stop him escaping. Crookshanks jumped up at the bed and made a soft hissing noise.

Remus moved closer to Ron. He seemed to be holding his breath as he gazed intently at Scabbers.

"What?" Ron said again, holding Scabbers close to him, looking scared. "What's my rat got to do with anything?"

"That's not a rat," Sirius croaked.

"What d'you mean - of course he's a rat - "

"No, he's not," Buffy said quietly. "He's a wizard. An Animagus. By the name of Peter Pettigrew."

Harry's eyes widened. How was that possible?

"You're all mental," Ron breathed after a few seconds.

"Ridiculous," Hermione agreed.

"Peter Pettigrew's dead!" Harry said, pointing at Sirius, accusingly. "He killed him twelve years ago!"

Sirius face twitched convulsively. "I meant to," he growled, "but little Peter got the better of me...not this time, though!" And Sirius lunged at Scabbers; Ron yelled with pain as Black's weight fell on his broken leg.

"PETRIFICUS TOTALUS!" Buffy yelled, pointing her wand at Sirius, who immediately became stiff as a board.

Silence.

Everyone stared incredulously at Buffy, who shrugged and wrung her hands.

"Sorry. I'm sorry, Sirius, but we have to explain. They've got a right to know everything."

Sirius' eyes, the only thing not petrified were glaring wildly at her.

"Will you let us explain, or do you want to stay that way?"

Sirius kept glaring, but then, finally, rolled his eyes once.

"I take that as a yes." Buffy canceled the spell, and Sirius sat up, on the bed, giving her another glare.

"Temper, temper," she smirked.

"Tell them whatever you like," Sirius sighed. "But make it quick. I want to commit the murder I was imprisoned for..."

"You're nutters, both of you," said Ron shakily, looking round at Harry and Hermione for support. "I've had enough of this. I'm off."

He tried to heave himself up on his good leg, but Remus raised his wand again, pointing it at Scabbers.

"You're going to hear us out, Ron," he said quietly. "Just keep a tight hold on Peter while you listen."

"HE'S NOT PETER, HE'S SCABBERS!" Ron yelled, trying to fore the rat back into his front pocket, but Scabbers was fighting too hard; Ron swayed and overbalanced, and Harry caught him am pushed him back down to the bed.

"I'll take him," Buffy said, her eyes glinting, and she grabbed the rat from Ron's hands easily, ignoring his protests.

Remus rolled his eyes as Buffy squeezed a little harder than necessary around the rat's neck, as it tried to escape her grip, making the animal's eyes bulge slightly, but, the unsaid threat had worked: 'Scabbers' wasn't struggling anymore.

"There were witnesses who saw Pettigrew die," Harry told Remus. "A whole street full of them..."

"They didn't see what they thought they saw!" Sirius said savagely, watching Scabbers in Buffy's hands, with something akin to glee in his eyes.

"Everyone thought Sirius killed Peter," said Lupin, nodding. "Buffy and I believed it too - until I saw the map tonight. Because the Marauder's map never lies... Peter's alive. Buffy's holding him, Harry."

Harry gave him a doubtful look, but didn't protest.

"But Professor Lupin... Scabbers can't be Pettigrew... it just can't be true, you know it can't..." Hermione said, voice trembling.

"Why can't it be true?" Buffy asked.

"Because... because people would know if Peter Pettigrew had been an Animagus. We did Animagi in class with Professor McGonagall. And I looked them up when I did my homework - the Ministry of Magic keeps tabs on witches and wizards who can become animals; there's a register showing what animal they become, and their markings and things...and I went and looked Professor McGonagall up on the register, and there have been only seven Animagi this century, and Pettigrew's name wasn't on the list."

Remus laughed. "Right as usual, Hermione. But not everyone registers themselves, you know. It takes the fun out of it, so to speak. The Ministry never knew that here used to be three unregistered Animagi running around Hogwarts. James, Harry's father, Sirius and Peter - "

Remus broke off, as the bedroom door suddenly creaked open of its own accord. All six of them stared at it. Then Remus strode toward it and looked out into the landing. "No one there..."

"This place is haunted!" said Ron.

"It's not," said Lupin, still looking at the door in a puzzled way. "The Shrieking Shack was never haunted...The screams and howls the villagers used to hear were made by me."

He pushed his hair out of his eyes, sighing. "I used to lock myself up here, during the school year, so I wouldn't endanger the students. Today, there is a potion that I take, called the wolfsbane potion. As long as I take it in the week, preceding the full moon, I keep my mind when I transform... I'm able to curl up in my office, a harmless wolf, and wait for the moon to wane again. But before the wolfsbane potion was discovered - and before Buffy entered my life - my transformations were terrible. It is very painful to turn into a werewolf. I was separated from humans to bite, so I bit and scratched myself instead. But apart from my transformations, I was happier than I had ever been in my life. For the first time ever, I had friends, three great friends. Sirius Black... Peter Pettigrew... and, of course, your father, Harry - James Potter."

"Now, they could hardly fail to notice that I disappeared once a month, even thought I tried my best to keep them from finding out. I was terrified they would desert me the moment they found out what I was. But of course, they worked out the truth...And they didn't desert me at all. Instead, they became Animagi."

"My dad too?" said Harry, astounded.

"Yes, indeed," said Lupin. "It took them the best part of three years to work out how to do it. Finally, in our fifth year, they managed it. They could each turn into a different animal at will. And they kept me company as animals, A werewolf is only a danger to people. They sneaked out of the castle every month under James's Invisibility Cloak and transformed. They would then slip down the tunnel from the Whomping Willow and join me. Under their influence, I became less dangerous. My body was still wolfish, but my mind seemed to become less so while I was with them. And during our 7th year, Buffy could keep me company as well, since she's my mate, which is a concept I will not go into right now."

Hermione looked disappointed and was about to open her mouth, but...

"Thank Merlin," a cold voice sneered. "If I had to listen to more of your blubbering, I would have become sick." Severus Snape was pulling off the Invisibility Cloak, his wand pointing directly at Remus.

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**A/N:** Faster update than last time! Hope you liked it! Next chaper is about half-way done and will be a long one! (Sorry to say, don't expect an update too soon for that one)

I'm still curious about your opinions on the graphics. Do you want me to publish them all at once now (when this part is finished), or do you want me to wait and post them one at the time, in sync with the parts being published?

I have also found time to do two Buffy/Remus wallpapers, one Remus, and one Eliza and I am in the middle of doing one Buffy and one James/Lily - Have finally found a Remus actor and James actor that are...okay, when it comes to picturing their looks. Still no luck with finding one for Sirius though. Anyway, these I can post whenever.

Anyway, please REVIEW and let me know!

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	14. Shadows of a memory

**Come What May**

Chapter 14 – Shadows of a memory.

DISCLAIMER: Buffy the Vampire Slayer belongs to Joss Whedon, and Harry Potter to J.K. Rowling. I don't own anything…

RATING: PG-13 (T) to R (M) - violence, language, angst, horror, possible mild sexual interactions, etc. If you can watch BTVS/AtS and read HP, I doubt you'll have any problem with this story.

TIMELINE: AU. Part 4 in the OOTB-series. Takes place during the Prisoner of Azkaban, the Goblet of Fire and includes missing moments from the Order of the Phoenix. It begins at Hogwarts, wizarding time, and then as it switches to Sunnydale time, we jump to where the epilogue to "Never the Same" (Part 3) left off.

SUMMARY: BTVS/HP crossover. When Dumbledore arrives at Buffy's and Remus' doorstep, they are both very surprised, but agree to come back with him to the wizarding world and protect Harry Potter from Sirius Black, the man responsible for the murders of Peter Pettigrew and Harry's parents. Sirius has somehow managed to escape prison, out for revenge...but so is Buffy and Remus. How will all this mess end?

PAIRING: Buffy/Remus

**Special Thanks to:** **My Beta -** CharmedChick

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**A/N:** You may have noticed I have a new pen-name: LadyVisionary, instead of former Crazy-VampireSlayer. And a new e-mail: instead of I'm still me, though. Just thought it was time to leave the totally-Buffy-focused title to something more all around. Enjoy the chapter - it's a long one!

/Ida

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Hermione screamed. Harry felt as though he'd received a huge electric shock and Buffy was struggling with 'Scabbers', who was again trying to escape.

Sirius leapt to his feet. "What the hell is Snivellus doing here?!" He exclaimed.

"He's a teacher," Remus said tiredly.

Sirius spluttered. "A-a teacher?" And he burst out laughing.

"SHUT UP!" Snape hissed, and threw the cloak aside, but making sure his wand was still pointing at Remus' chest. "I found this at the base of the Whomping Willow. "Very useful, Potter, I thank you..."

Snape was slightly breathless, but his face was full of suppressed triumph. "You're wondering, perhaps, how I knew you were here?" he said, his eyes glittering. "I've just been to your office, Lupin. You forgot to take your potion tonight, so I took a goblet full along. And very lucky I did... lucky for me, I mean. Lying on your desk was a certain map. One glance at it told me all I needed to know. I saw you running along this passageway and out of sight."

"Severus - " Remus began, but Snape overrode him. "I've told the headmaster again and again that you're helping your old friend Black into the castle, Lupin, and here's the proof."

"Severus, you're making a mistake," said Remus said urgently. "You haven't heard everything - I can explain - Sirius is not here to kill Harry - "

"Two more for Azkaban tonight," said Snape, his eyes now gleaming fanatically. "I shall be interested to see how Dumbledore takes this...He was quite convinced you were harmless, you know, Lupin... a tame werewolf - "

"You fool," Buffy spat. "Is a schoolboy grudge worth putting an innocent man back inside Azkaban?"

Sanpe didn't answer, but instead muttered a spell under his breath, and thin, snakelike cords burst from the end of his wand and twisted themselves around Remus' mouth, wrists, and ankles. Remus lost his balance and fell to the floor, unable to move.

Buffy was staring at Snape with loathing, wanting nothing more than to kick him where the sun didn't shine, but she didn't dare - she couldn't risk doing anything, in case she dropped Peter...

Sirius however, let out a roar of rage and was about to threw himself at Snape, but found himself with his wand between his eyes. "Give me a reason," Snape hissed. "Give me a reason to do it, and I swear I will."

Sirius stopped dead, his face twisted with hate. Snape smirked.

Harry stood there, paralyzed, not knowing what to do or whom to believe.

He glanced around at Ron and Hermione. Ron looked just as confused as he did, and Buffy was still struggling with 'Scabbers'. Hermione was wringing her hands, her eyes darting between Snape, to Sirius, to Remus, to Buffy and then back to Snape again. Her mouth was opening and closing, as if she wanted to say something but couldn't find the words.

"Stop," someone said, and Harry was surprised to realise it was himself. Everyone's heads snapped to look at him, and Snape sneered.

"Potter. I should have known you were unable to keep your mouth shut. You should all be expelled - you, Granger, and Weasley are out-of-bounds, in the company of a convicted murderer and a werewolf."

Harry glared right back. "As I see it," he hissed, his green eyes shooting lightning, "I only see an insanely jealous vampire wannabe trying to get innocent people killed and convicted."

Snape gave him a furious look. "I will let that comment slip by, Potter," he hissed. "Obviously, they've twisted your mind. You're confused - I'd recommend the ward for the irreparably insane on St. Mungos for you. Maybe you could join the Longbottoms."

Buffy let out a roar of anger, and almost dropped the rat. "That's it, Snivellus!" She hissed. "How dare you?! I-"

"SILENCIO!" Snape shouted, and Buffy's eyes widened as the spell hit her, and she fell silent, her eyes glaring daggers at Snape, who's wand was back to pointing at Sirius.

"P-professor Snape," Hermione squeaked. "Maybe we should listen to what they have to say. If - if there was a mistake - "

"KEEP QUIET, YOU STUPID GIRL!" Snape shouted, looking suddenly quite deranged. "DON'T TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!" A few sparks shot out of the end of his wand, and Hermione quickly shut her mouth.

"Vengeance is very sweet," Snape breathed at Sirius, his eyes rolling wildly in their sockets. "How I hoped I would be the one to catch you..."

"The joke's on you again, _Severus_," Sirius snarled. "As long as the rat gets up to the castle" - he jerked his head at the silenced Buffy - "I'll come quietly..."

Snape suddenly smiled, a twisted, silky smile, and his eyes shone in the dull light from the windows.

"Up to the castle?" said Snape silkily. "I don't think we need to go that far. All I have to do is call the Dementors once we get out of the Willow. They'll be very pleased to see you, Black... pleased enough to give you a little kiss, I daresay... "

Sirius paled, and he started shaking. On the floor, Remus was struggling against his bonds, even trying to call up on some wandless magic, but the rope must be enforced with some spell because no matter what he tried, he couldn't get free.

"Snape!" He gasped, somehow having managed to loosen the cord around his mouth enough to speak - but now, the cord had wound up tightly around his neck, threatening to strangle him. "Don't be a fool!"

"Shut up," Snape hissed.

"You -you've got to hear us out," Remus croaked. "The rat - "

But there was a mad glint in Snape's eyes. He seemed beyond all reason. "Come on, all of you," he said. He clicked his fingers, and the ends of the cords that bound Lupin flew to his hands, and he pulled on them, making Remus choke as the cord around his neck tightened even more and his eyes teared up in pain. "I'll drag the werewolf. Perhaps the Dementors will have a kiss for him too - If he hasn't stopped breathing by the time we get there, of course."

Buffy's lips were trembling, not able to make up her mind. Should she attack Snape, and, in retrospect, help them all, but let Pettigrew get away, or keep a tight hold on the rat and hope for the best?

As it was, she didn't have to decide, as Harry suddenly crossed the room in three strides and blocked the door.

"Get out of the way, Potter, you're in enough trouble already, you ungrateful brat" Snape snarled. "If I hadn't been here to save your skin - "

"Professor Lupin could have killed me about a hundred times this year," Harry said. "And so could Buffy. I've been alone with them loads of times, both in private lessons and defense lessons against the dementors. If he was helping Black, why didn't he just finish me off then?"

"Don't ask me to fathom the way a werewolf's mind works," hissed Snape. "Get out of the way, Potter."

"As I see it, you are the only threat here," Harry hissed. "You're pathetic! Just because they made a fool of you at school you won't even listen - "

"SILENCE! I WILL NOT BE SPOKEN TO LIKE THAT!" Snape shrieked, looking madder than ever. "Like father, like son, Potter! I have just saved your neck; you should be kissing my shoes! You would have been well served if he'd killed you! You'd have died like your father, too arrogant to believe you might be mistaken in Black - now get out of the way, or I will make you. GET OUT OF THE WAY, POTTER!"

Harry made up his mind in a split second. Before Snape could take even one step toward him, he had raised his wand. "Expelliarmus!" he yelled - except that his wasn't the only voice that shouted. There was a blast that made the door rattle on its hinges; Snape was lifted off his feet and slammed into the wall, then slid down it to the floor, a trickle of blood oozing from under his hair. He had been knocked out.

Harry looked around. Both Ron and Hermione had tried to disarm Snape at exactly the same moment. Snape's wand soared in a high arc and landed on the bed next to Crookshanks.

"You shouldn't have done that," Sirius said, looking at Harry. "You should have left him to me..."

"He did the right thing," Buffy said, the spell on her broken now when Snape was unconscious. "Sirius, can you untie Remus? I would, but," she nodded down to the still struggling rat; her hands were covered in bites and scratches.

"We attacked a teacher... We attacked a teacher..." Hermione whimpered, staring at the lifeless Snape with frightened eyes. "Oh, we're going to be in so much trouble - "

Remus, who'd been released by Sirius, stood up, rubbing his throat. " - You've also saved two," he croaked out, coughing. "And probably an innocent man as well. You have nothing to be punished for."

"I'm still not saying I believe you," Harry said quietly. "But...I wanted to give you the benefit of the doubt."

Remus smiled. "Then it's time we offered you some proof," he rasped, his throat still sore. He motioned at Buffy, who immediately handed Peter over to him.

Ron spoke up from the bed; "Come off it," he said weakly. "Are you trying to say he broke out of Azkaban just to get his hands on Scabbers? I mean..." He looked up at Harry and Hermione for support, "Okay, say Pettigrew could turn into a rat - there are millions of rats - how's he supposed to know which one he's after if he was locked up in Azkaban?"

"You know, Sirius, that's a fair question," Remus said, turning to Sirius, and frowning slightly. "How did you find out where he was?"

Sirius put one of his hands inside his robes and took out a crumpled piece of paper, which he smoothed flat and held out to show the others. It was a photograph of Ron and his family that had appeared in the Daily Prophet the previous summer, and there, on Ron's shoulder, was Scabbers.

"How did you get this?" Remus asked Sirius, thunderstruck.

"Fudge," said Black. "When he came to inspect Azkaban last year, he gave me his paper. And there was Peter, on the front page on this boy's shoulder... I knew him at once... how many times had I seen him transform? And the caption said the boy would be going back to Hogwarts... to where Harry was..."

"My God," said Lupin softly, staring from Scabbers to the picture in the paper and back again. "His front paw..."

"What about it?" said Ron defiantly.

"He's got a toe missing," Sirius

"Of course," Buffy breathed. "So simple... so brilliant... he cut it off himself?"

"Just before he transformed," said Black. "When I cornered him, he yelled for the whole street to hear that I'd betrayed Lily and James. Then, before I could curse him, he blew apart the street with the wand behind his back, killed everyone within twenty feet of himself..." he swallowed. "Including Eliza."

Buffy's hands flew up to her mouth and she gasped. "Oh God...that's how she died? She was there?"

Sirius nodded. "Yeah...She'd been captured by her father...but managed to escape and was looking for me..."

"...and got killed for it..."

"When I saw her there," Sirius continued, his voice sounding choked up, "I was so shocked, so surprised. That short second was all Peter needed, to cut off his finger, cast the spell, transform, and speed down into the sewer with the other rats..."

"Didn't you ever hear, Ron?" Remus said. "The biggest bit of Peter they found was his finger."

Ron was shaking his head, not wanting to believe it. Most of his mind had already resigned to the fact that they - another trio, how ironic - were probably telling the truth. But still... "Look, Scabbers probably had a fight with another rat or something!" He said, desperately, now grasping at straws. "He's been in my family for ages, right - "

"Twelve years, in fact," Buffy said. "Didn't you ever wonder why he was living so long?"

"We - we've been taking good care of him!" said Ron.

"Not looking too good at the moment, though, is he?" Remus said. "I'd guess he's been losing weight ever since he heard Sirius was on the loose again..."

"He's been scared of that mad cat!" said Ron, nodding toward Crookshanks, who was still purring on the bed.

But that wasn't right, Harry thought suddenly... Scabbers had been looking ill before he met Crookshanks... ever since Ron's return from Egypt... since the time when Black had escaped...

"This cat isn't mad," Sirius said hoarsely. He reached out a bony hand and stroked Crookshanks's fluffy head. "He's the most intelligent of his kind I've ever met. Probably half kneezle or something. He recognized Peter for what he was right away. And when he met me, he knew I was no dog. It was a while before he trusted me...Finally, I managed to communicate to him what I was after, and he's been helping me...

"What do you mean?" breathed Hermione.

"This cat - Crookshanks, did you call him? - told me Peter had left blood on the sheets... I supposed he bit himself... Well, faking his own death had worked once."

These words jolted Harry to his senses.

"And why did he fake his death?" he said furiously. "Because he knew you were about to kill him like you killed my parents!"

"No," Remus said, sighing. "Harry - "

"And now you've come to finish him off!"

"Yes, I have," Sirius said, with an evil look at Scabbers.

"Then I should've let Snape take you!" Harry shouted.

"Harry," Buffy said quickly, "don't you see? All this time we've thought Sirius betrayed your parents, and Peter tracked him down - but it was the other way around, don't you see? Peter betrayed your mother and father - Sirius tracked Peter down - "

"THAT'S NOT TRUE!" Harry yelled. "HE WAS THEIR SECRET-KEEPER! HE SAID SO BEFORE YOU TURNED UP. HE SAID HE KILLED THEM!"

He was pointing at Sirius who shook his head slowly; the sunken eyes were suddenly over bright.

"Harry... I as good as killed them," he croaked, sounding broken. "I persuaded Lily and James to change to Peter at the last moment, persuaded them to use him as their Secret Keeper instead of me... I'm to blame, I know it...The night they died, I'd arranged to check on Peter, make sure he was still safe, but when I arrived at his hiding place, he'd gone. Yet there was no sign of a struggle. It didn't feel right. I was scared. I set out for your parents' house straight away. And when I saw their house, destroyed, and their bodies... I realized what Peter must've done...and the part I played in it." He turned away.

"Enough of this," Remus said, with a steely note in his voice. "There's one certain way to prove what really happened." He grabbed the rat by its tail.

"What are you going to do with him?" Ron asked tensely.

"Force him to show himself," Remus answered. "If he really is a rat, it won't hurt him." Scabbers began to squeak without stopping, twisting and turning, his tiny black eyes bulging in his head.

"Ready, Sirius?" Remus asked.

Sirius had already retrieved Snape's wand from the bed. He approached Lupin and the struggling rat, and his wet eyes suddenly seemed to be burning in his face.

"Together?" he said quietly.

"I think so," Remus said, holding Scabbers tightly in one hand and his wand in the other. Buffy was watching intently, her eyes focused on the struggling animal. "On the count of three. One - two - THREE!"

A flash of blue-white light erupted from both wands; for a moment, Scabbers was frozen in midair, his small gray form twisting madly - Ron yelled - the rat fell and hit the floor. There was another blinding flash of light and then - It was like watching a speeded-up film of a growing tree. A head was shooting upward from the ground; limbs were sprouting; a moment later, a man was standing where Scabbers had been, cringing and wringing his hands. Crookshanks was spitting and snarling on the bed; the hair on his back was standing up.

He was a very short man, hardly taller than Harry and Hermione. His thin, colorless hair was unkempt and there was a large bald patch on top. He had the shrunken appearance of a plump man who has lost a lot of weight in a short time. His skin looked grubby, almost like Scabbers's fur, and something of the rat lingered around his pointed nose and his very small, watery eyes. He looked around at them all, his breathing fast and shallow. His eyes darted to the door and back again.

"Well, hello, Peter," Remus said pleasantly, as though rats frequently erupted into old school friends around him. "Long time, no see."

"S - Sirius... R - Remus... B - Buffy..." Even Pettigrew's voice was squeaky.

Again, his eyes darted toward the door. "My friends... my old friends..."

Sirius's wand arm rose, but Remus seized him around the wrist, gave him a warning took, then turned again to Peter, his voice light and casual.

"We've been having a little chat, Peter, about what really happened the night Lily and James died."

"Remus," gasped Pettigrew, and Harry could see beads of sweat breaking out over his pasty face. "You don't believe him, do you...? He tried to kill me, Remus..."

"So we've heard," Remus said, more coldly. Buffy was snorting, her arms crossed, looking murderous.

"He's come to try and kill me again!" Pettigrew squeaked suddenly, pointing at Black, and Harry saw that he used his middle finger, because his index was missing. "He killed Lily and James and now he's going to kill me too... You've got to help me, Remus..."

Buffy started to laugh. "You are unbelievable! Forever a rat, Peter, always trying to blame on others what you've created. I remember several times in the past when that has happened. The marauder's map come to mind, for example."

Peter swallowed, turning his face to Buffy, smiling crookedly with yellow teeth. "B-Buffy," he stuttered. "Y-you've aged well..."

Buffy gave him a disgusted look. "I can't say the same for you."

Peter stretched out a hand towards her. "B-Buffy...I would n-never betray any of y-you...you know that. I-I love you - "

Buffy was becoming green, and opened her mouth to retort, but before she could, Remus stepped in, placing himself between his wife and Peter, raising himself to his full height and growling possessively. "You've never loved anyone other than your own skin," he spat. "The only reason you wanted Buffy was because she wasn't yours. How is your nose, by the way? Did it ever heal correctly?"

Peter paled and stepped back. Straight into Sirius. Peter squeaked and jumped to the side, his eyes darting around even more wildly.

Sirius' face looked more skull-like than ever as he stared at Wormtail with his fathomless eyes. "Help me!" Peter begged the children. "They'll kill me! I knew he'd come after me! I knew he'd be back for me! I've been waiting for this for twelve years!"

"You knew Sirius was going to break out of Azkaban?" Remus said, raising his eyebrow mildly, looking innocently confused. "When nobody has ever done it before?"

"He's got dark powers the rest of us can only dream of!" Wormtail shouted shrilly. "How else did he get out of there? I suppose He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named taught him a few tricks!"

Remus and Buffy snorted. "Yeah, right..." They said, at the same time as Sirius burst out in a mirthless laugh. "Voldemort, teach me tricks?" he said.

Peter flinched and let out a whimper, which made Buffy roll her eyes.

"He's even more pathetic than I remembered him being," she muttered.

Sirius was sneering. "What, scared to hear your old master's name?" he said. "I don't blame you, Peter. His lot aren't very happy with you, are they?"

Peter gulped, his breathing fast and shallow, and his face shining with sweat.

"I-I have no idea what you're t-talking about P-Padfoot - "

"DON'T CALL ME THAT!" Sirius roared. "YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO EVER CALL ME BY THAT NAME!"

Peter whimpered again, as Sirius breathed heavily through his nose to calm himself down.

"No, Peter," he continued more quietly. "You lost all right to use our childhood nicknames the moment you decided to accept the Dark Mark."

"You haven't been hiding from Sirius for twelve years," Remus added quietly. "You've been hiding from Voldemort's old supporters, haven't you?"

Peter shuddered, and Sirius smirked.

"I heard things in Azkaban, Peter... They all think you're dead, or you'd have to answer to them...I've heard them screaming all sorts of things in their sleep. Sounds like they think the double-crosser double-crossed them. Voldemort went to the Potters' on your information... and met his downfall there. And not all Voldemort's supporters ended up in Azkaban, did they? There are still plenty out here, biding their time, pretending they've seen the error of their ways..."

"Malfoy," Buffy coughed.

Sirius' smirk widened. "If they ever got wind that you were still alive, Peter - "

"Don't know... what you're talking about..." Peter insisted, voice loud and shrill in the stillness of the shack. He wiped his face on his sleeve and looked up at Buffy. "You don't believe this - this madness, Buffy - "

"I must admit, Peter, I have difficulty in understanding why an innocent man would want to spend twelve years as a rat," Buffy said coldly. "And I never really trusted you in the first place."

Peter's eyes widened. "Why? I'm innocent! Innocent, but scared! If V-Vol-vol...You-know-who's supporters were after me, it was because I put one of their best men in Azkaban - the spy, Sirius Black!"

SLAP.

Peter stumbled, clutching his cheek were Buffy had slapped him.

"How dare you," she growled, face dark. "After all this, even now, when the truth is out and all facts are there...you still insist Sirius was the spy? You disgust me!" She spat. "Sirius hasn't ever looked up to people stronger and more powerful than him. Sirius hasn't ever sneaked around corners, spying on others and invading their privacy. Sirius hasn't ever let anyone take the blame for something he did. You, on the other hand, Peter, must be the master of lies and deceit. I should have trusted my instincts when it came to you."

Pettigrew wiped his face again; he was almost panting for breath. "Me, a spy...you must all be out of your minds...never...don't know how you can say such a - "

" - SHUT UP!" Sirius roared. "Lily and James only made you Secret-Keeper because I suggested it," he hissed. "I thought it was the perfect plan...a bluff... Voldemort would be sure to come after me, would never dream they'd use a weak, talent-less thing like you... It must have been the finest moment of your miserable life, telling Voldemort you could hand him the Potters."

"This is lunacy...you're grasping at straws Sirius...your explanation is not fact, it's fantasy. Too far-fetched...too good to be true..."

"And yet, it's not Sirius who's shaking with fear with eyes looking for an escape, Peter," Remus snapped, making Peter, who's eyes had been darting towards the possible exits - again - squeak and quickly turn his attention to Remus.

"No," Remus said, a small smile of victory stretching across his face. "The only one grasping at straws right now, is you."

"Professor Lupin?" Hermione spoke up timidly. "Can - can I say something?"

"Certainly, Hermione," Remus said courteously, without taking his eyes from Peter.

"Well - Scabbers - I mean, this - this man - he's been sleeping in Harry's dormitory for three years. If he's working for You-Know-Who, how come he never tried to hurt Harry before now?"

"There!" said Pettigrew shrilly, pointing at Hermione with his maimed hand. "Thank you! You see, Remus? I have never hurt a hair of Harry's head! Why should I?"

Remus rolled his eyes, while Buffy snickered.

"I'll tell you why," Sirius said, his lips twitching in amusement, only to be turned back into a scowl as he started talking. "Because you never did anything for anyone unless you could see what was in it for you. Voldemort's been in hiding for fifteen years, they say he's half dead. You weren't about to commit murder right under Albus Dumbledore's nose, for a wreck of a wizard who'd lost all of his power, were you? You'd want to be quite sure he was the biggest bully in the playground before you went back to him, wouldn't you? Why else did you find a wizard family to take you in? Keeping an ear out for news, weren't YOU, Peter? Just in case your old protector regained strength, and it was safe to rejoin him..."

Pettigrew opened his mouth and closed it several times.

Sirius grinned in satisfaction.

"Er - Mr. Black - Sirius?" said Hermione.

Sirius blinked and slowly turned his head so his eyes landed on Hermione, staring, as though he had never seen anything quite like her.

"If you don't mind me asking, how - how did you get out of Azkaban, if you didn't use Dark Magic?" She said, wringing her hand and wincing.

"Thank you!" gasped Peter, nodding frantically at her. "Exactly! Precisely what I - "

"Oh, shut up," Harry snapped, thoroughly fed up with Pettigrew and this entire conversation. Even though he wanted more explanations, couldn't it wait until later? He was more than convinced with the information he had already gained.

Peter's mouth closed with a loud snap, staring at Harry in shock. Harry glared right back and walked over to Buffy's side. The Slayer gave him a small smile and a nod, which Harry returned.

"I don't know how I did it," Sirius said slowly, finally beginning to answer Hermione's question. "I think the only reason I never lost my mind is that I knew I was innocent. That wasn't a happy thought, so the Dementors couldn't suck it out of me...but it kept me sane and knowing who I am...helped me keep my powers...so when it all became...too much...I could transform in my cell...become a dog. Dementors can't see, you know..." He swallowed. "They feel their way toward people by feeding off their emotions...They could tell that my feelings were less - less human, less complex when I was a dog...but they thought, of course, that I was losing my mind like everyone else in there, so it didn't trouble them. But I was weak, very weak, and I had no hope of driving them away from me without a wand...But then I saw Peter in that picture...I realized he was at Hogwarts with Harry...perfectly positioned to act, if one hint reached his ears that the Dark Side was gathering strength again..."

Everyone, including Pettigrew, was staring at Sirius as though hypnotized.

"...ready to strike at the moment he could be sure of allies...and to deliver the last Potter to them. If he gave them Harry, who'd dare say he'd betrayed Lord Voldemort? He'd be welcomed back with honors...So you see, I had to do something. I was the only one who knew Peter was still alive...It was as if someone had lit a fire In my head, and the Dementors couldn't destroy it...It wasn't a happy feeling...it was an obsession...but it gave me strength, it cleared my mind. So, one night when they opened my door to bring food, I slipped past them as a dog...It's so much harder for them to sense animal emotions that they were confused... I was thin, very thin...thin enough to slip through the bars...I swam as a dog back to the mainland...I journeyed north and slipped into the Hogwarts grounds as a dog. I've been living in the forest ever since, except when I came to watch the Quidditch, of course...You fly as well as your father did, Harry..."

Harry blinked away tears that had suddenly appeared in his eyes, and rushed towards Sirius, embracing him. Sirius stared down in shock at the messy head which were buried in his chest, before slowly returning the hug.

"Believe me," he croaked with a whisper. "Believe me, Harry. I never betrayed James and Lily. I would have died before I betrayed them."

"I know," Harry choked out, nodding. "I believe you. You don't have to say anything else - "

"No!" Peter fell to his knees as though Harry's words had been his own execution. He shuffled forward on his knees, groveling, his hands clasped in front of him as though praying.

"Sirius - it's me...it's Peter...your friend...you wouldn't - "

Sirius kicked out and Pettigrew recoiled.

"There's enough filth on my robes without you touching them," Sirius spat, clutching Harry closer to him.

"Buffy! Please!"

Buffy snorted. "What, Peter? No new insane explanation? Are you done with trying to talk yourself out of this? Converted to begging, have we?"

Peter gave her a hopeless glance which Buffy returned with a raise of her eyebrow; a perfect imitation of what was a very "Remus"-gesture to do.

"Remus!" Pettigrew squeaked, turning to Remus instead, writhing imploringly in front of him. "You don't believe this wouldn't Sirius have told you they'd changed the plan?"

"Not if he thought I was the spy, Peter," Remus said. "Something practically everyone did during that time. I assume that's why you didn't tell me, Sirius?" he said casually over Peter's head.

"Forgive me, Remus," Sirius said, finally letting go of Harry who quickly dried his eyes.

"Not at all, Padfoot, old friend," Remus said, rolling up his sleeves. "And will you, in turn, forgive me for believing you were the spy?"

"Of course," Sirius said with an incline with his head, and the ghost of a grin flitted across his gaunt face. He, too, began rolling up his sleeves. "Shall we kill him together?"

Buffy stretched on herself a little, as though she wanted a better look. Her eyes were glittering with glee, and it looked like she wanted to do the job herself, with her bare hands.

"Yes, I think so," Remus said grimly, a dark look on his face.

"You wouldn't...you won't...," Peter gasped and scrambled around to Ron.

"Ron...haven't I been a good friend...a good pet? You won't let them kill me, Ron, will you... you're on my side, aren't you?"

But Ron was now staring at Pettigrew with the utmost revulsion.

"I let you sleep in my bed!" he said.

"Kind boy...kind master..." Peter continued. "You won't let them do it...I was your rat...I was a good pet..."

"Get away from me," Ron snarled, wrenching his broken leg out of Pettigrew's reach.

"If you made a better rat than a human, it's not much to boast about, Peter," Sirius said, as though bored, inspecting the wand Remus was holding. "New wand?"

Remus smiled. "You noticed?"

Sirius grinned.

Peter turned on his knees, staggered forward, and seized the hem of Hermione's robes.

"Sweet girl...clever girl...you - you won't let them...Help me..."

Hermione pulled her robes out of Pettigrew's clutching hands and backed away against the wall, looking horrified.

Pettigrew knelt, trembling uncontrollably, and turned his head slowly toward Harry.

"Harry...Harry...you look just like your father...just like him..."

"HOW DARE YOU SPEAK TO HARRY?" roared Sirius. "HOW DARE YOU FACE HIM? HOW DARE YOU TALK ABOUT JAMES IN FRONT OF HIM?"

"Harry," whispered Pettigrew, shuffling toward him, hands outstretched. "Harry, James wouldn't have wanted me killed... James would have understood, Harry... he would have shown me mercy..."

Both Sirius and Remus strode forward, seized Peter's shoulders, and threw him backward onto the floor. He sat there, twitching with terror, staring up at them. Buffy however, was staring at Harry, who had a look akin to hesitation on his face...

"You sold Lily and James to Voldemort," Sirius said, shaking as well, turning Buffy's attention back to Peter. "Do you deny it?"

Pettigrew burst into tears, cowering on the floor, like an oversized, balding baby.

"Sirius, Sirius, what could I have done? The Dark Lord...you have no idea...he has weapons you can't imagine...I was scared, Sirius, I was never brave like you and Remus and James. I never meant it to happen...He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named forced me - "

"DON'T LIE!" bellowed Black. "YOU'D BEEN PASSING INFORMATION TO HIM FOR A YEAR BEFORE LILY AND JAMES DIED! YOU WERE HIS SPY!"

"He - he was taking over everywhere!" Peter gasped out. "Wh - what was there to be gained by refusing him? H-he was about to c-conquer the world!"

Sirius was about to answer, but a movement in the corner of his eye caught his attention.

Remus had stumbled and was clutching at his head.

Peter looked like he was about to transform, a look of glee on his face...which disappeared as he found three wands pointing straight at his face - Ron, Harry and Hermione.

"Rem!" Buffy gasped. "Are you okay?"

Remus shook his head, clutching it harder...His mind was in a dark clearing, shadows moving all around him...shadows of a memory...

****

Flashback

"I have an offer to give you."

"You do? Let me guess: You want me to join you in your evil scheme to take over the world."

Voldemort chuckled.

"Well, yes. But when you say it, it sounds insulting."

"That was my intent."

Voldemort chuckled evilly again.

"Humour. That's good." His red eyes narrowed. "But not good enough. CRUCIO!"

End flashback

Remus fell to his knees on the floor in the shack, gasping in pain.

"Rem!" Buffy got down on her knees, grabbing Remus' face. "Look at me! LOOK AT ME! REMUS!"

****

Flashback

"Remus, Remus...can I call you Remus?"

"Can I call you arsehole?"

"CRUCIO!"

End flashback

Remus' eyes shot open and Buffy gasped. His eyes were completely white. Remus let out a blood curling scream, bending over, clutching at his head harder.

"MAKE IT STOP!"

__

Flashback

"Is it worth it? The pain?" Voldemort asked, gaining no answer. "I didn't think so," Voldemort mused. "You know, Remus, some things are worth pain. A world free from prejudices against werewolves for example...wouldn't that be nice? I could give you that. If I came to power, Mr Lupin...Remus...we could have that world. You could have whatever you wanted. A job. Any girl you wanted. In my world, you would be so much better off. Don't you agree?"

"Go to hell."

Voldemort's eyes narrowed, and he sneered as he lifted his wand again.

"CRUCIO!"

End flashback

Remus suddenly stopped screaming and coughed up blood, which landed on Buffy's shirt with a splatter. Buffy stared in shock. "WHAT'S HAPPENING?!" She yelled, her head shooting up, staring at Sirius with tear filled eyes, looking terrified. Sirius, in turn, just stared at Remus coughing and gasping form in silent shock.

"M-my, my...is the w-werewolf in pain?" Peter stuttered out, mockingly. "C-can't handle it, Moony? M-maybe you should j-just end his pain...just k-kill him."

****

Flashback

"I-I just don't understand w-why you're wasting time on him. I-I know Remus Lupin - he would rather die than join you. So...just kill him."

"I didn't ask for your opinion, Pettigrew!"

"But master - "

" - CRUCIO!"

End Flashback

"Shut up!" Buffy snapped at Peter, putting Remus head in her lap, stroking his hair. "Rem..."

Remus had stopped coughing blood and was only panting heavily, gasping in pain. "It's all about jealousy," Remus choked out, looking up at Buffy, eyes no longer white, but very bloodshot. "Jealousy, and need of power..." And he passed out.

"Remus...wake up!" Buffy's voice was trembling. "Wake up!"

__

Flashback

"M-master, listen to me. He knows about me...you can't let him k-know..."

"You should have thought about that before you revealed yourself to your 'friend', Wormtail!" Voldemort snapped. "Never the less, you are right. However, I will not kill your friend...yet. I might have use for him later..."

He smirked evilly.

"Master?" Peter questioned. "What are you doing?"

" If we are ever in need of someone to...blame...if something does not go according to plan..."

"I-I don't understand..."

"I didn't expect you to," Voldemort sneered. "I am still displeased at your interference, Pettigrew, but it might all have worked out for the best." He pointed his wand at Remus, and muttered a spell.

End flashback

Remus woke up with a gasp, trembling in Buffy's arms.

"Rem?"

Remus looked around dizzily, a confused look on his face, that cleared with every passing second. "I remember," he breathed out.

"What?" Buffy said, grabbing his arm, supporting him, as he slowly got to his feet.

"Everything."

* * *

**A/N:** I am SO SORRY FOR THE SUPER LONG WAIT! I do have a very good excuse though, in the form of a car crash (read my LJ for more info) which I've been recovering from, and then catching up on schoolwork I missed due to said crash. Anyway, I am ahead in my writing again, so the updates should come a lot more quickly. No longer than a week of waiting for the next three chapters, I swear!

/Ida

* * *


	15. Together

**Come What May**

Chapter 15 – Together.

DISCLAIMER: Buffy the Vampire Slayer belongs to Joss Whedon, and Harry Potter to J.K. Rowling. I don't own anything…

RATING: PG-13 (T) to R (M) - violence, language, angst, horror, possible mild sexual interactions, etc. If you can watch BTVS/AtS and read HP, I doubt you'll have any problem with this story.

TIMELINE: AU. Part 4 in the OOTB-series. Takes place during the Prisoner of Azkaban, the Goblet of Fire and includes missing moments from the Order of the Phoenix. It begins at Hogwarts, wizarding time, and then as it switches to Sunnydale time, we jump to where the epilogue to "Never the Same" (Part 3) left off.

SUMMARY: BTVS/HP crossover. When Dumbledore arrives at Buffy's and Remus' doorstep, they are both very surprised, but agree to come back with him to the wizarding world and protect Harry Potter from Sirius Black, the man responsible for the murders of Peter Pettigrew and Harry's parents. Sirius has somehow managed to escape prison, out for revenge...but so is Buffy and Remus. How will all this mess end?

PAIRING: Buffy/Remus

**Special Thanks to:** **My Beta -** CharmedChick

* * *

Peter's eyes widened as he realized what Remus meant. He gulped at the look on Remus face.

Remus was staring at Peter, even more coldly than earlier, his normally amber eyes dark with anger, face pale, and lips covered in dried blood.

"H-how?" Peter mumbled, wringing his hands.

Everyone gave the two confused looks.

"'How' what, Peter?" Remus snapped.

"H-how did you break t-the Dark Lord's spell?" Peter had dropped the act completely now, realizing it was useless. He didn't expect to get any mercy now; the game was up, and that is why he also went back to calling Voldemort what he was to Peter...the Dark Lord.

Buffy gave Remus a confused look.

"What is he talking about?"

"Yes, Peter," Remus said mockingly. "Why don't you explain to Sirius and Buffy and the children exactly what you're talking about? Why don't you tell them all about how Voldemort portkeyed me to one of his meetings? Why don't you tell them all about how he TORTURED ME - "

Peter flinched.

" - While you watched? Why don't you tell them all about how Voldemort asked me to join him, but I RESISTED? Why don't you tell them all about how you tried to get him to KILL ME after you revealed yourself? Why don't you tell them about the plan that was carried out that made everyone distrust, and HATE ME? Why don't you tell them how you then sent me back home, OBLIVIATED, with NO MEMORY it ever happened?"

Buffy, Sirius and the 'Golden trio' stared at Remus in shock.

Peter whimpered.

"A werewolf's mind is very complex," Remus said silently. "I suppose that is why the spell was broken. Or maybe I simply am stronger than him? Not in power, oh, no. But in everything else _that matters._ The soul, the heart, the spirit."

It was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop.

"You asked us, what there was to be gained by refusing him. Everything," Remus said. "I refused him, I still have my honor. I still have Buffy. I have two wonderful kids, a job and _a life_! Look at yourself, Peter! Where is the power Voldemort promised you? Where is all the glory? You have nothing! No life, no honor, no friends, nothing! You are nothing more than a sniveling, pathetic creature who's only reason for living is petty vengeance on us for being happy and for being what you never could be! Do you know what you are? You are a groveling, sad, sad _thing_ who still lives in a dream world where you are the king and we are your servants! Isn't that right, Peter?"

"I-I would have been killed!" Peter howled. "He didn't kill you, because he had use for you! But you said it yourself, I am nothing! I would be nothing but dirt in a forgotten grave had I resisted!"

"THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE DIED!" Sirius roared. "DIED RATHER THAN BETRAY YOUR FRIENDS, AS WE WOULD HAVE DONE FOR YOU!"

Buffy gave Peter a long, tired look, at the same time as supporting a now trembling and sickly looking Remus on her shoulder.

"You say you would have been nothing but dirt had you resisted him," she said. "So you didn't resist. And yet, here you are. Still nothing but dirt."

She slowly helped Remus sit down on the bed, beside Ron, and then walked over to Sirius, raising her wand on the way.

"You should have realized," she said quietly, "if Voldemort didn't kill you, we would. Good-bye, Peter."

Hermione covered her face with her hands and turned to the wall. Harry hesitated for a moment...

"...NO!" He yelled, rushing forward, placing himself in front Pettigrew, facing the wands. "You can't kill him," he said breathlessly. "You can't."

Sirius and Buffy both looked staggered, and on the bed, Remus sunk together, all power seemingly leaving him.

"Harry, this piece of vermin is the reason you have no parents," Buffy snarled. "This cringing bit of filth would have seen you die too, without turning a hair. You heard him. His own stinking skin meant more to him than your whole family. Than his friends! After all this, after everything that has been revealed here tonight, you still want him alive?!"

"We'll take him up to the castle," Harry panted, eyes wild. "We'll hand him over to the Dementors... He can go to Azkaban...or give him the kiss, for all I care...but don't kill him."

A gleam appeared in Peter's eyes. He had a chance again. He had a chance to escape...one chance...on the way up to the castle. Because he certainly didn't plan on being given the kiss...

"Harry!" he gasped out with false gratitude, and flung his arms around Harry's knees. "You - thank you - it's more than I deserve - thank you - "

"Get off me," Harry spat, throwing Pettigrew's hands off him in disgust. "I'm not doing this for you. I'm doing it because - I don't reckon my dad would've wanted them to become killers - just for you."

No one moved or made a sound except Peter, whose breath was coming in wheezes as he clutched his chest.

Sirius and Buffy were looking at each other, and then sighed, lowering their wands.

"Very well," Buffy sighed. "Stand aside, Harry." "I'm going to tie him up. That's all, I swear."

Harry stepped out of the way. And Buffy's fist flew out, hitting Peter straight in the nose.

Peter howled in pain, staggering backwards. Harry stared at Buffy in shock.

Buffy shrugged at him. "He deserved it."

Harry gave her an exasperated look, which Buffy pointedly ignored, having gone back to glaring at Peter.

"That was for Remus," she said coldly, tssking slightly. "That poor nose of yours certainly has to deal with a lot, doesn't it, Peter?" She made thin cords fly out of her wand and wrap themselves around him, and gagging him, but still, a moan managed to escape, blood rushing down in large streams from his nose.

"If you transform, Peter," Sirius growled, his wand pointing at Peter, "we will kill you. You agree, Harry?"

Harry looked down at the pitiful figure on the floor and nodded so that Peter could see him.

"Right," Remus said, standing up from the bed. "Let's go."

Buffy sighed. "Rem, you're in no state to go anywhere."

Remus gave her a glare. "I want to see it through."

"Fine."

She walked over to the bed, and mumbled a basic healing spell on Ron's leg, and then, with a 'Ferula', had it bandaged. "That should hold until I get you to the hospital wing and I have time to heal it completely."

"Thanks."

Buffy turned to Remus.

"I'm fine," he said, before Buffy had the chance to open her mouth. "Besides, neurology isn't really your area, is it? I'd rather you didn't mess with my already messed up mind until we know what to do after - I guess we could call it - a violently broken 'Obliviate'."

Buffy sighed. "You're right. Unfortunately."

"What about Professor Snape?" Hermione said in a small voice, looking down at Snape's prone figure.

"There's nothing seriously wrong with him," Buffy shrugged carelessly. "Still out cold. _Mobilicorpus_." Snape was pulled into a standing position, as though invisible strings were tied to his wrists, neck, and knees, head still lolling unpleasantly, like a grotesque puppet. He hung a few inches above the ground, his limp feet dangling. Buffy picked up the Invisibility Cloak and gave it to Harry.

"Thanks," he said, putting it in his pocket.

"For what?" Buffy said innocently, whispering conspiratorially: "I'm your teacher, I'm supposed to confiscate that kind of stuff." She winked. "I'm sorry, what were we talking about?"

Harry grinned, catching up. "Nothing, professor."

Buffy grinned back.

"Two of us should be chained to this," Sirius said, nudging Peter with his toe. "Just to make sure."

"I'll do it," Remus said.

"And me," said Ron savagely, limping forward.

Buffy frowned, the Healer in her not the least bit happy that the two who were currently in the most pain (besides Peter, but it wasn't like he didn't deserve it) were going to be chained to Peter, but said nothing, as

Sirius conjured heavy manacles from thin air; soon Pettigrew was upright again, left arm chained to Remus' right, right arm to Ron's left.

Crookshanks led the way out of the room, his bottlebrush tail held jauntily high. Buffy followed next, Snape floating in front of him. As they reached the door way, she 'accidentally' gave her wand a little jerk, making him hit his head in the doorframe.

"Oops," she said innocently, not sounding sorry at all. Ron and Harry snickered.

On the way down the tunnel, Snape's head hit the roof and walls several times, very obviously on purpose, but no one said anything, unless it was in the form of a snigger or laugh. The only one who looked displeased was Hermione, who was frowning slightly, but still said nothing to actually prevent it from happening. It seemed as she was, at least, temporarily, over the belief that 'all professors are saints.'

"Oi, Sirius!" Buffy said.

"Yeah?"

"After this is over, and we've turned Pettigrew in, you're free. Wanna come live with us?" This was said so casually, as though it was an everyday occurrence.

"You're serious?" Sirius said, almost stopping in surprise.

Buffy snickered. "No, you are."

Sirius rolled his eyes and broke out into a grin. "Of course I want to live with you!"

Harry's heart fell. Of course they were dumping him back with the Dursley's...of course they didn't want a teenager on their hands, even if he happened to be their Godson...

"Hey, Harry, you asleep or something?"

"Huh?" Harry looked up, blinking.

Buffy smirked. "Sirius and I have been calling your name at least ten times. You wanna come live with us too?"

"You mean it?"

"Sure!" Buffy laughed. "You are our Godson, after all. And, Sarah and Phoebe has always wanted a brother. I can see it now: Biggie brother Harry is home!"

Harry broke out into a genuine smile, which was reflected on Sirius' face.

"Well, I've always wanted siblings that aren't anything like Dudley."

"Dudley?" Sirius asked, confused.

"My cousin."

"Oh..." Sirius said, grin widening. "The fat pig."

Harry's lips twitched. "Yep."

Remus laughed. "Well, Sarah can be quite the terror in her own little way. You'll have your hands full, that's for sure."

They'd reached the end of the tunnel. Crookshanks darted up first and pressed his paw to the knot on the trunk, stopping the Whomping Willow from moving, and then they all climbed out. The grounds were very dark now; the only light came from the distant windows of the castle. Peter was still wheezing and occasionally whimpering. Harry's mind was buzzing. He was going to leave the Dursleys. He was going to live with Sirius, Buffy and Remus...he would have two 'sisters'... He felt dazed...with happiness.

"One wrong move, Peter," Remus said, threateningly pointing his wand sideways at Pettigrew's chest.

Silently they tramped through the grounds, the castle lights growing slowly larger. Snape was still drifting weirdly ahead of Buffy, his chin bumping on his chest. And then -

A cloud shifted. There were suddenly dim shadows on the ground. Their party was bathed in moonlight.

Everyone stopped abruptly, and Remus froze up.

"Oh my God... the Full Moon!" Buffy breathed, as Remus went rigid. Then his limbs began to shake.

"Oh, my - " Hermione gasped. "He didn't take his potion tonight! He's not safe!"

"Run," Sirius whispered. "Run. Now."

But no one moved. Harry leapt forward towards Ron, intent on getting him unchained and away from danger, but Buffy grabbed him harshly around the chest.

"Leave it to us - RUN!"

As Remus underwent his transformation, Buffy shouted instructions at Sirius, yelling to be heard over the sounds of Remus transforming into a savage beast.

"I'LL DEAL WITH REMUS, YOU TAKE CARE OF PETER!"

Sirius nodded, knowing Buffy could take care of Remus with the mating bond, and he turned his attention to Peter, but then he stopped, turning sideways towards Buffy, as he saw the werewolf had reared, snapping its long jaws towards Buffy, who was trying to calm him down, to no avail. Something was wrong.

"REMUS!" Buffy shouted. "LISTEN TO ME! IT'S ME, BUFFY! YOUR MATE!"

But there was no sign of Remus in the wolf, who took another leap, landing straight upon Buffy, two legs on either side of her body. Before she had time to react and fling it off of her, the werewolf snarled, and lowered its head to bite - and Padfoot bounced forward, throwing himself between the wolf and Buffy. The werewolf wrenched itself free of the manacle binding it, and the dog seized it about the neck and pulled it backward, away from Ron. Buffy was still on the ground, staring in shock at the werewolf and Padfoot, who were locked in battle, a blurry color of black and golden as they fought. They were locked, jaw to jaw, claws ripping at each other.

Suddenly, Hermione screamed - Peter had dived for Lupin's dropped wand. Ron, unsteady on his bandaged leg, fell. There was a bang, a burst of light - and Ron lay motionless on the ground. Another bang - Crookshanks flew into the air and back to the earth in a heap.

"Expelliarmus." Harry yelled, pointing his own wand at Peter; Remus' wand flew high into the air and out of sight. "Stay where you are!" Harry shouted, running forward, but it was too late.

Where Peter had been, a rat stood, and then the small animal scattered through the grass towards the forest. Harry tried to stupefy it, but kept missing...

...There was a howl and a rumbling growl; Harry turned to see the werewolf taking flight; it was galloping into the forest - "Sirius, he's gone, Pettigrew transformed!" Harry yelled.

Padfoot was bleeding; there were gashes across his muzzle and back, but at Harry's words he scrambled up again, and in an instant, the sound of his paws faded to silence as he pounded away across the grounds.

Harry and Hermione dashed over to Ron.

"What did he do to him?" Hermione whispered. Ron's eyes were only half-closed, his mouth hung open; he was definitely alive, they could hear him breathing, but he didn't seem to recognize them.

"I don't know..."

Buffy, who'd gotten up, stumbled over to them, eyes looking wild and hair tousled.

"Professor," Hermione gasped. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Buffy said unconcernedly, but looking far from it. Her lips were tightly pressed together, her face scrunched up in a tense expression that could have rivaled McGonagall's.

"What were you thinking, trying to deal with the werewolf?" Hermione breathed out. "You're not an animagus..."

"I shouldn't have to be, to keep my husband in check," Buffy snapped.

Hermione gave her a sympathetic look. "Professor...Buffy...I understand that you want to be able to calm Remus down, but when he's a werewolf - "

"I KNOW!" Buffy yelled. "I know he's a werewolf, I know he's dangerous...but he's never been dangerous to me. Up 'til today, he has always recognized me in his wolf-form, and been completely calm in my company. It is to do with our mating bond - it's complicated - I don't have time to explain."

Hermione looked slightly stumped. "Oh."

Buffy sighed, brushing away her hair from her face, staring at Snape, frowning.

"We'd better get him up to the castle and tell someone what has happened," she said. "I hope Sirius manages to catch Peter..."

But then, from beyond the range of their vision, they heard a yelping, a whining: a dog in pain...

"Sirius," Harry muttered, staring into the darkness.

"Stay here!" Buffy said, rushing away.

After a few minutes, Harry got tired of waiting, and rushed away after Buffy.

"Harry! Buffy told us to stay!" Hermione yelled.

"I don't care!"

Harry ran until he could see the lake...and was met by a sight he would never forget.

All around the frozen lake, Dementors circled. And on the ground, laid Sirius, clearly unconscious. Above him stood Buffy, a bright light coming out of her wand - was that a werewolf Patronus? She was pale, and was staggering, but the light was keeping the Dementors at bay...Harry gasped, as he faintly heard is mother's voice in the back of his head...

'Not Harry, please not Harry!'

Suddenly, Buffy staggered, the Patronus fading into a mist, and the Dementors dove...

"No!" Harry yelled, and rushed down to the lake shore, brandishing his wand. His mother's voice were louder now...

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" Nothing. Not even a little mist. Harry had reached Buffy and Sirius...the Dementors were growing closer...his mother's voice was no longer faint, but loud and clear. It sounded as though she was screaming, straight into his ear...Harry felt himself grow dizzy... "Ex-Expecto Patronum - "

Harry felt his knees hit the cold grass. Nothing happened. Fog was clouding his eyes. He saw a Dementor halt, very close to him. A dead, slimy hand slid out from under the cloak...He could feet them watching him, hear their rattling breath like an evil...wind around him. Beside him, he could hear Buffy's forced breath...and then, a cold hand clutched his. For a second, Harry thought it had been a Dementor. Until he heard Buffy's voice and felt the hand clutch his.

"Together," Buffy gasped. "On three. One...two..."

Two voices rang out in the forest.

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!"

A bright light burst out from the tips of their wand...the fog clouding Harry's eyes seemed to clear...his mother's voice was fading...the Dementors let out shrieks of pain as the Patronuses attacked - the wolf and the stag - Moony and Prongs, shining more brightly than ever... The cold was disappearing, and the Dementors were being driven back, away from them, away from the lake...the air was warm again.

Buffy let out a breath she didn't know she was holding, and crawled over to Sirius.

"Sirius..."

He moaned. "Give me another minute, 'liza - "

Buffy let out a choked up laugh. Despite the terror, despite all the pain, despite the fact that Peter had escaped their clutches...it felt like everything would be alright.

"We have to go, Sirius," she breathed. "We have to get you out of here..."

Sirius blinked, slowly sitting up, groaning.

"What happened?"

Buffy's lips twitched. "Harry came to the rescue."

Harry blushed. Buffy helped Sirius up, supporting him on his shoulder, and they made their way out of the forest, towards Hagrid's pumpkin patch, were Buckbeak was chained.

Buffy quickly bowed, and got a bow in return, and she grabbed the rope which held the Hippogriff and gave them to Sirius, who bowed clumsily. After awhile, that bow was returned as well.

"You...want me to escape on a Hippogriff?"

Buffy grinned. "Got to beat a flying motorcycle, eh?"

Sirius let out a booming laugh, and then became serious again. "Harry...Buffy...I don't know what to say..."

"Don't say anything," Buffy said, sighing. "We haven't actually caught Peter yet..."

"No, but you know the truth, and that's enough for now," Sirius said, mounting Buckbeak.

Buffy smiled. "I'll be in touch," she said, clapping the Hippogriff on the flank, making the animal squeak in protest.

"Bye," Harry said quietly.

"Goodbye, Harry," Sirius said, smiling. "Time moves quickly. Before you know it, we'll see each other again."

"Soon, I hope."

Sirius didn't answer, but only nodded, before squeezing Buckbeak's sides with his heels, taking off into the air...

* * *

BANG!

Buffy forced Snape up against the wall.

"Good morning, Miss Summers," the Potions Master said, completely unruffled.

"It's Mrs Lupin," Buffy snapped. "How dare you?"

"How dare I what?" Snape said mildly.

"Don't play dumb!" Buffy spat. "You know very well what I'm talking about! What the hell were you playing at in the Shack?! You heard the truth, and yet, you still insist that Sirius is guilty, just for some petty vengeance, and now, Peter has escaped the law, again!"

Snape sneered. "I have no idea what truth you are talking about, Mrs _Lupin_. The only thing I heard in the Shrieking Shack were three delusional 'adults' and three even more easily fooled children. You're lucky I didn't turn you and the wolf in. I'm sure the Minister would love to hear all about how you've protected Black."

"The wolf as you call him, is currently in his chambers, half dead!" Buffy snarled. "I imagine that's all thanks to you as well. What the fuck is the deal with the Wolfsbane potion? Why couldn't I calm Remus? I'm his mate, but I wasn't able to - it has never happened before. I know it has something to do with the potion."

"It is not my problem if you have trouble keeping your husband on a leash," Snape said coldly.

"Tell. Me. What. It. Does."

"It lets the transformed werewolf keep its mind during the full moon."

Buffy gave him a frustrated look and started to stalk down the corridor. Snape smirked, happy now that he'd managed to rile her up. "However," he added, making Buffy stop and turn back around. "If a werewolf goes on the Wolfsbane potion for a long time, and then suddenly stops taking it...the werewolf becomes wilder during the first transformation without it. The werewolf is simply furious with having been 'sedated' and 'locked away' during the time the potion was taken. And of course, the longer the werewolf has been on the potion, the worse the transformation will be. A 'mating bond,' as you call it, no matter how strong, is not enough to keep him in check," Snape grinned evilly.

"And you just 'forgot' to mention that little detail?"" Buffy said shrilly, livid. "He could have died! He could have hurt somebody! Do you realize how worried the kids were when we got him to his chambers this morning? I HAD TO CARRY HIM!"

"If he dies, it certainly isn't my problem," Snape said, smirking. "And it certainly isn't my fault he neglected to take the potion, and therefore, also neglecting the safety of others. If I remember it correctly, I actually brought the potion to him, but the only thanks I got for my trouble was several stunners to my chest. And I could care less about your kids."

"You son of a bitch," Buffy spat out walking closer to Snape. "You knew what would happen if he stopped the potion. I bet you even looked forward to it. I bet you saw it as a form of childish revenge. I bet you hoped he would die."

Snape's smirk widened.

"You should have thought about the possible trouble the Wolfsbane could do to your poor mutt before he started taking it. But, I will not deny I hoped he would die."

SLAP.

Snape glared coldly at Buffy, his cheek already growing red on his pale face.

"You will regret that," he said quietly, before turning around, robes swirling around his legs, as he stalked down the corridor, back to his dungeons.

"Bring it on," Buffy snarled, turning around, and stalking away in the opposite direction.

* * *

"You okay?" Buffy said, sitting down on the side of Remus' bed. He smiled tiredly.

"I will be."

Sarah and Phoebe walked into the room, Sarah carrying a stack of chocolate, and Phoebe a blanket, which she carefully spread out over her father.

"Thanks, sweetie," Remus croaked out.

"Here," Sarah said, holding out the chocolate stack to him.

Remus gave her a surprised look. "Sarah...this is chocolate. You love chocolate."

Sarah shrugged, looking down at her feet. "So do you. And you need it more than me anyway."

"Aww," Buffy cooed. "Group hug!"

Sarah and Phoebe laughed, jumping into their parents outstretched arms, and they all fell into what had been baptized as the 'Lupin-sandwich.'

* * *

A couple of days later, Remus was back on his feet and the Lupins went down to the Great Hall to have dinner. They pretended not to notice Snape's gleeful smirk, and the Slytherins' whispering, until they had sat down.

"What do you think the whispering is all about?" Remus hissed to Buffy, who shrugged.

"Maybe Malfoy and the Hippogriff." She smirked. "He must be pretty upset it was freed of all charges."

Suddenly, Snape's voice rang out in the hall, and the Slytherins fell silent, staring up at their Head of House with identical smirks on their faces.

"So, Lupin. How are you feeling now when the full moon has passed? I hope your furry little problem didn't give you too much trouble? I imagine it must be difficult being a werewolf, in a school full of tasty children. Hard to keep that inner beast in check?"

"Severus!" Dumbledore said harshly, but it was too late.

The Hall had fallen silent, and every student (except the Slytherins who were winking and making ugly gestures) was staring at Remus with horror (as did Ron, Harry and Hermione, but because of fear for Remus, not fear of him).

"Ooops, did I say that out loud?" Snape said, humor clearly visible in his voice, his coal black eyes glittering with held back mirth.

Remus said nothing, simply put down his fork, and slowly rose from his seat, walking out of the hall, back held straight and head held high, his footsteps echoing across the stone floor; the only sound in the otherwise quiet hall.

Sarah and Phoebe gave each other a look, and then they both got up at the same time, hurrying after their father.

Buffy stood up, lips thin. "Severus Snape," she said.

Snape said nothing, simply raised an eyebrow.

Buffy grabbed the punch bowl and without saying anything else, she turned it upside down, above the Potions Master's head. The icy cold red liquid fell down onto the his head, dripping down his hair, face and down the inside of his robes. In the background, she could hear a camera snapping pictures.

'Probably Colin Creevey,' Buffy thought, before she too left the hall, completely calm and oddly satisfied despite the fact that she realized their time at Hogwarts had just gotten a very abrupt ending.

* * *

**A/N: **And there ends the POA-arch of the story! Don't worry - Come What May still has five chapters left to go before we move on to next part though! Please REVIEW!

/Ida

* * *


	16. That Skeeter cow

**Come What May**

Chapter 16 – That Skeeter cow.

DISCLAIMER: Buffy the Vampire Slayer belongs to Joss Whedon, and Harry Potter to J.K. Rowling. I don't own anything…

RATING: PG-13 (T) to R (M) - violence, language, angst, horror, possible mild sexual interactions, etc. If you can watch BTVS/AtS and read HP, I doubt you'll have any problem with this story.

TIMELINE: AU. Part 4 in the OOTB-series. Takes place during the Prisoner of Azkaban, the Goblet of Fire and includes missing moments from the Order of the Phoenix. It begins at Hogwarts, wizarding time, and then as it switches to Sunnydale time, we jump to where the epilogue to "Never the Same" (Part 3) left off.

SUMMARY: BTVS/HP crossover. When Dumbledore arrives at Buffy's and Remus' doorstep, they are both very surprised, but agree to come back with him to the wizarding world and protect Harry Potter from Sirius Black, the man responsible for the murders of Peter Pettigrew and Harry's parents. Sirius has somehow managed to escape prison, out for revenge...but so is Buffy and Remus. How will all this mess end?

PAIRING: Buffy/Remus

**Special Thanks to:** **My Beta -** CharmedChick

* * *

**_August 12_**

_Dear Snuffles,_

_We were very glad to get your last letter which assured us you are more than alright and enjoying life, as you always used to, before that terrible misunderstanding took you away from us. The birds bringing the letters were very beautiful - we all wish we could be with you, but we all know that isn't the brightest idea, all things considered._

_On a second note, Sarah is very excited to start Hogwarts next year. Us working there has really given her a taste of the castle, and she seems to have taken a liking to...Neville of all people! It seems like she thinks he needs some cheering up. ;)_

_Phoebe is enjoying the cottage. She and Sarah spent hours in the forest yesterday, looking at all the growth and animal life. This place holds a lot of memories, both good and bad. Buffy has been on the look out for a certain rat, but so far, no luck. We've tried to ask around, but no one is very forthcoming. Might have something to do with the fact that 'my furry little problem' is out in the open. (Buffy is still livid with Snape)_

_I have to say, life has certainly been interesting since we left Hogwarts. Three days ago, we woke up to the sound of an angry mob of werewolf protestants outside our door. I've never had so many visitors! Buffy was far from happy though (I'm sure your very vivid imagination can come up with something she did that is way more interesting than the truth)._

_Did you hear about the Quidditch World Cup? We all wish we could go (Buffy and Sarah especially), but, alas, life sucks sometimes, eh? Even if we somehow managed to get tickets, we would probably be stopped at the gates. After all, a werewolf in the crowd might upset the rest of the world, and that wouldn't make the British Ministry look to good. I've heard rumors of some woman in the Ministry named Umbridge (coughUmbitchcough) trying to get a new werewolf legislation passed. Unfortunately, the news about a werewolf working at Hogwarts has brought her support, and she's quickly on the uprising..._

_Also, Buffy had to turn to the muggle world to get a job (with some help from Dumbledore, and some well-placed memory-charms, we managed to get all our papers un-futurerised and legal). She went to St. Mungos, to get her old job back, at first, but they are very hesitant to hire the wife of a now-exposed-werewolf. It seems like my furry little problem has really become a problem this time around, for everyone. _

_You wondered about my-state-of-mind after my rough awakening from that 'Obliviate'. I have to say, I am as well as can be expected, all things considered. Suddenly gaining a 'new' memory from out of the blue is a little disconcerting, but I am managing. Some nightmares, and some lapses into sudden quiet, is all. I'm fine, really (never mind that I am forgetting the silliest of things, like, if I go down to the kitchen for a cup of tea, when I arrive, I've completely forgotten why I went, or how I got there in the first place. But it's no big deal. It'll pass.)_

_We all hope to hear from you soon,_

_Moony (with family.)_

_---_

_August 24_

_Moony, Moony, Moony...what am I going to do with you? You might try and sound like you don't care, but I know you. You are terribly upset over the trouble your furry little problem has brought you and your family! Your light-hearted tone over the whole werewolf business in your last letter doesn't fool me in the least. And I know I'm right when I say you blame yourself. As usual. _

_DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT LEAVING BUFFY AND THE KIDS! You haven't said you plan on it, but I know you're thinking it. Probably with some mad reasoning that 'they're better of without me'-crap. That's bull, and you know it. If I could mention one side of you, Moony, that sucks, is the fact that you always, ALWAYS, try and find faults with yourself, and that it always, ALWAYS comes down to your monthly problem. (You just love to play the self-sacrificing-tragic-hero, don't you)_

_Sarah likes Neville? Allow me to laugh. Sarah will have the poor bloke running the moment she sets eye on him, if all you've told me about him is true. Really. Sarah would be better off with Harry. They both seem to like danger. Wanna play match maker? On the other hand...a Potter/Summers-Lupin combination can be lethal. I don't want to think about the trouble those two could get up to together._

_I've tried to be on the lookout for the Rat as well (don't worry, I was under the disguise), but no luck either. He has probably gone back to his Master (did you hear about Bertha Jorkins?). _

_Now, on to more serious things (no pun intended): My God, Moony, be grateful you missed the World Cup! Did you hear about the Dark Mark? And Harry was there! I got a letter from him, written two days earlier (August 20), saying his scar hurt. Think it's connected? I am seriously (still no pun intended, Moony) considering traveling back to England. In fact, I'm planning on it. I'm worried, Moony, really worried. I am afraid He is on the rise. And I also heard Dumbledore has gotten Mad-Eye Moody out of retirement and hired him as DADA professor, which means he is worried as well. And yet, in the middle of all this, Dumbledore is re-instating the Tri-Wizard Tournament! (I read about it in the Prophet) I'm not sure whether to laugh or cry. I am grateful you have to be of age to enter, or Merlin know's I'm certain Harry would be one of the champions._

_Take care, and say hi to Buffy and the kids,_

_Snuffles (and Beaky)_

_PS. I know you're bitter over the fact that your memory likes to play pranks on you at the moment. Don't let it get you down! Think about: Revenge. On Wormtail. I find it always cheers me up.DS._

_---_

_September 10_

_Snuffles. STAY WHERE YOU ARE!_

_Moony._

_---_

_October 20_

_Too late. Already on my way. Cheers!_

_Snuffles._

_---_

_October 25_

_You are an idiot._

_Moony and Buffy._

_---_

_October 30_

_I know:D_

_Snuffles._

_---_

Buffy sighed as she put down the latest letter from Sirius, written several days ago (he was probably back in England by now) and instead picked up the Daily Prophet and took a sip of her coffee. And promptly spat it out.

"WHAT THE FUCK?!"

On the front page, there was a huge picture of Harry, and below it...

_HARRY POTTER, HOGWARTS' TRIWIZARD CHAMPION!_

_On Halloween, the Goblet of Fire spat out the names on the champions that are to compete in the legendary Wizarding Tournament which are taking place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Imagine my surprise when another name of legend was the person to be chosen: Harry Potter._

_The hero of the last war is now to compete in a tournament that has robbed more than one champion of their lives in the past. But, as we all know, our tragic hero is more than familiar with death, being the one who killed He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, and, as rumors have it, Harry Potter has not been laying low during his first three years at Hogwarts. Indeed, more than one bird has whispered in my ear that young Harry Potter was involved in the unfortunate fates brought upon the latest two professors in Defense Against the Dark Arts: Quirell and Gilderoy Lockhart, a man with hair as shiny as my own. It has also been rumored he was involved in a face down with the escaped lunatic and murderer, Sirius Black, and Remus Lupin, the latest DADA professor and a known werewolf._

_However, death seems to Harry the furthest thing from his mind; our young hero quickly brushes my worried question about his safety aside, and instead, turns our conversation towards something he regards as much more important: Love. Harry has at last found love at Hogwarts. His close friend, Colin Creevey, says that Harry is rarely seen out of the company of one Hermione Granger, a stunningly pretty Muggle-born girl who, like Harry, is one of the top students in the school. "I tell her everything," Harry reveals. "I truly adore Hermione; she is so clever and I know she always will be there for me, and support me, even now, during this dangerous tournament._

_We all know all about the trauma Harry Potter has been through in his short life. It is no wonder he is so keen to prove himself and live up to his name: Who can blame him for illegally entering a tournament he, in actuality, is too young to compete in? A true Gryffindor, foolishly brave, even when facing danger. "I suppose I get my strength from my parents," Harry says. "I know they'd be very proud of me if they could see me now..." He smiles sadly, and a brush of wind exposes what we all know is there on his forehead: An ugly scar, souvenir of a tragic past, disfigures the otherwise charming face of Harry Potter, whose eyes - those startlingly green eyes - are filled with tears as our conversation turns to the parents he can barely remember. "Yes, sometimes at night I still cry about them, I'm not ashamed to admit it. . . . I know nothing will hurt me during the tournament, because they're watching over me. . ."_

_We are all cheering for you, Harry Potter, and hope you will succeed in your tasks, and win over your older and more experienced competitors: __Viktor Crumm of Durmstrang, and Flurr Dellacorr of Beaubaxtons. _This is Rita Skeeter, reporting for the Daily Prophet, and I wish you the best of luck.

_Read more about the tournament on page 2, 6 and 7._

"BULLSHIT!" Buffy yelled, slamming down the newspaper. Remus entered the room, looking confused.

"What?"

"Read this," Buffy said, pointing at the Prophet in disgust. "Read the crap that-that COW has written!"

Remus picked up the paper, giving Buffy a worried glance out of the corner of his eyes, before turning to read the article. As he read, his eyes grew larger and larger, and finally, his jaw dropped.

"What the Hell?"

"My thoughts exactly," Buffy said and groaned. "Just the Headline almost gave me a heart attack, but on top of that, the article is pure lies and slander!"

Remus sighed. "I wonder if Sirius knows."

"Probably." Buffy snorted. "If he wasn't planning on doing something stupid before, he certainly is now..." Suddenly, a grey owl flew into their open window, dropping a letter in Remus' lap.

_Moony,  
Have arrived in Hogsmead. Come to Honeydukes on the 20th. Bring food._

_Snuffles._

Buffy sighed, as Remus read the letter out loud.

"I told you so."

* * *

"You are a fool, Sirius," Remus said, as he watched Sirius put his teeth in a chicken sandwich. He was currently in the outskirts of Hogsmeade, in a cave, and Sirius new 'home', having followed him from Honeydukes, where Sirius had been waiting as Padfoot. 

Sirius grinned toothily.

"Who's the more foolish: The fool, or the fool who follows him?"

Remus stared. "After twelve years in Azkaban, you still remember quotes from Star Wars?"

Sirius shrugged. "Got to have been the Force. Hey, do you think George Lucas is a wizard?"

Remus glared. "Don't be an idiot."

"I'm not: According to you, I'm a fool."

Remus sighed. "Honestly, Sirius, why are you here? You should have stayed in the south."

"Where I had no way of watching over Harry. I got a letter from him; he told me he was selected to be in the tournament even though he didn't enter. Something is happening at Hogwarts, Moony, something big, and I'm worried."

Remus sighed. "I'm worried too, but, even though you're here...what can you do?"

Sirius shrugged. "Talk to him, see him. I'm giving him a floo-call in two days."

Silence.

"ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR BLOODY MIND?"

"..."

"YOU ARE AN ESCAPED CONVICT, SIRIUS, OR HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN? PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FOR YOU!"

"And if you don't stop yelling, those people will be here soon," Sirius said calmly, taking another bite. "Relax. I've got it all under control." Pause. "Mostly." Another pause. "Kind of." A third pause. "Alright. Not so much."

Remus crossed his arms and glared.

* * *

"Whoever it was that entered Harry in the tournament wanted to kill him," Buffy said, putting down the latest article from the Daily Prophet, this one speaking about the first task - or rather, it had been all about _'HARRY POTTER VS THE HUNGARIAN HORNTAIL.'_

"You think?" snorted Remus ironically, glaring at the paper.

Buffy sighed. "Well, we all know who it is that wants to hurt Harry. Voldemort, Voldemort's Death Eaters, Voldemort's supporters..."

"Which means that whoever it is, he or she is at Hogwarts right now," Remus said grimly.

"Right. Time to analyze the situation," Buffy said, sinking down on the couch beside Remus. "At Hogwarts, there are a lot of 'new' faces due to that friggin' tournament. It has got to be one of them."

"Well, let's begin with the most obvious. Igor Karkaroff. 'Former' Death Eater."

Buffy frowned. "I'm actually not so sure it's him. I mean, he seems to be the kind of person to tuck a tail between his legs. He sold out several Death Eaters in the last war when he was caught, to save his own skin."

"Exactly my point," Remus explained. "He must have heard Voldemort might be back on the rise - Karkaroff's probably terrified and is trying to gain back his favor. And can you find out a better way to do that, then to off the person who vanquished him?"

Buffy sighed. "I'm still not sure it's him, though. Right. Next. Crouch."

Remus snorted. "Well, he seems to have lost it. According to the Daily Prophet, he was trying to blame the Dark Mark in the Quidditch World Cup on Harry."

"Might have been him trying to get rid of him, without getting himself overly dirty."

"Buffy, please," Remus groaned. "Barty Crouch is obsessed with catching Dark Wizards. He's almost as paranoid as Moody, after all that business with his son."

Buffy frowned. "Fine. But you said it; he's going insane. Who knows what kind of weird scenarios his mind can come up with. He might be convinced that Harry is a danger to society or something."

"Fine, so we don't rule out Crouch either. What about Ludo?"

"Bagman?" Buffy burst out laughing. "Honestly, Rem..."

"What?"

"Bagman cares about nothing but sports and gambling," Buffy said. "The thought that he's a Dark Wizard...it's ridiculous."

"He might have gambled too high a game this time," Remus protested. "He was at the World Cup, and he is at Hogwarts - "

Buffy sighed. "So we keep him on the list too. Well, we all know Moody is Dumbledore's man. Madame Maxime?"

Remus hesitated. "The Beauxbaton Headmistress? What do we know about her?"

Buffy grinned. "Nothing, other than she's taller than Hagrid."

Remus lips twitched. "Which means she's a giantess. But, it seems like she knows Dumbledore from before..."

Buffy groaned. "Right. So Maxime is out. We're getting nowhere. It could be anyone! I mean, all the students from Beauxbaton's and the students from Durmstrang are of age. Every single one of them can be a Voldemort supporter in secret, and we'll never know. It's hopeless..."

* * *

Buffy giggled as she wrapped the Christmas present they were going to send to Harry: _'101 dance steps you never knew -guaranteed to impress your partner'._

Remus' lips twitched. "You know that present is going to give him nightmares. He's probably agonizing over the Yule Ball enough as it is."

"I'm his Godmother. It's my duty to torture him," Buffy sniffed, as she fastened the present to the post owl's leg. "Besides, we sent him real presents too. Believe me, when he is old and wrinkly from old age, Harry will laugh over that present and remember his first, disastrous date with a fond smile on his face."

"What makes you so certain it will be a disaster?" Remus asked, laughing.

"Please," Buffy giggled. "He's a fourteen year old teenage boy who's only just started to notice girls are very pretty things on long legs, with pouty lips and...breasts."

"Good point."

* * *

"I. Hate. Rita. Skeeter," Buffy forced out between gritted teeth, glaring at the latest article from the Prophet, with the screaming Headline: _'DUMBLEDORE'S GIANT MISTAKE._

_Albus Dumbledore, eccentric Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, has never been afraid to make controversial staff appointments, writes Rita Skeeter, Special Correspondent. In September of this year, he hired Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody, the notoriously jinx-happy ex-Auror, to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts, a decision that caused many raised eyebrows at the Ministry of Magic, given Moody's well-known habit of attacking anybody who makes a sudden movement in his presence. Mad-Eye Moody, however, looks responsible and kindly when set beside the part-human Dumbledore employs to teach Care of Magical Creatures. _

_Rubeus Hagrid, who admits to being expelled from Hogwarts in his third year, has enjoyed the position of gamekeeper at the school ever since, a job secured for him by Dumbledore. Last year, however, Hagrid used his mysterious influence over the headmaster to secure the additional post of Care of Magical Creatures teacher, over the heads of many better-qualified candidates._

_An alarmingly large and ferocious-looking man, Hagrid has been using his newfound authority to terrify the students in his care with a succession of horrific creatures. While Dumbledore turns a blind eye, Hagrid has maimed several pupils during a series of lessons that many admit to being "very frightening." _

_'I was attacked by a hippogriff, and my friend Vincent Crabbe got a bad bite off a flobberworm," says Draco Malfoy, a fourth-year student. "We all hate Hagrid, but we're just too scared to say anything."_

_Hagrid, however, has no intention of ceasing his campaign of intimidation. In conversation with a Daily Prophet reporter last month, he admitted breeding creatures he has dubbed "Blast-Ended Skrewts," highly dangerous crosses between manti-cores and fire-crabs. The creation of new breeds of magical creature is, of course, an activity usually closely observed by the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. Hagrid, however, considers himself to be above such petty restrictions._

_"I was just having some fun," he says, before hastily changing the subject. As if this were not enough, the Daily Prophet has now unearthed evidence that Hagrid is not - as he has always pretended - a pure-blood wizard. He is not, in fact, even pure human. His mother, we can exclusively reveal, is none other than the giantess Fridwulfa, whose whereabouts are currently unknown. _

_Bloodthirsty and brutal, the giants brought themselves to the point of extinction by warring amongst themselves during the last century. The handful that remained joined the ranks of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, and were responsible for some of the worst mass Muggle killings of his reign of terror. _

_While many of the giants who served He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named were killed by Aurors working against the Dark Side, Fridwulfa was not among them. It is possible she escaped to one of the giant communities still existing in foreign mountain ranges. If his antics during Care of Magical Creatures lessons are any guide, however, Fridwulfa's son appears to have inherited her brutal nature. _

_In a bizarre twist, Hagrid is reputed to have developed a close friendship with the boy who brought around You-Know-Who's fall from power - thereby driving Hagrid's own mother, like the rest of You-Know-Who's supporters, into hiding. Perhaps Harry Potter is unaware of the unpleasant truth about his large friend - but Albus Dumbledore surely has a duty to ensure that Harry Potter, along with his fellow students, is warned about the dangers of associating with part-giants.'_

"I want to go visit him," Buffy said. "He needs support."

"Well," Remus sighed. "Say 'hi' to Harry from me, if you see him. If I show my nose on the grounds with all Ministry representatives and the Heads from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang there, I'll be thrown out faster than I can say 'full-moon.'"

_

* * *

_

"Good evening, Hagrid," Buffy said brightly, stepping inside his cabin. "And hello, Headmaster."

"Mrs Lupin," Dumbledore nodded at her. "What a pleasant surprise."

Hagrid let out a howl of sadness, burying his bushy head in his hands.

Buffy stepped up to him, giving him a small handkerchief. "There, there," she said, clapping him on the back. "It'll be alright. No one cares about Skeeter anyway. What does she know?"

"Th-they'll b-be a-afraid of m-me," Hagrid choked out. "E-ev'ryone kn-knows!" He let out another howl of misery.

"Everyone knows about Remus too, but he doesn't let it get to him," Buffy lied. Remus did let it get to him - he just didn't show it. "You're better than this Hagrid. Don't let this destroy you. Skeeter will get what's coming to her, don't you worry. Show her you don't let a petty thing like that get you down."

"I couldn't have said it better myself," Dumbledore said, standing up, as there was a sudden pounding on the door. "And, it seems like you have more people than us who care about you, Hagrid."

"Hagrid! Hagrid, that's enough!," Buffy heard the familiar voice of Hermione Granger yell. And where she went, Ron and Harry certainly was as well. "We know you're in there! Nobody cares if your mum was a giantess, Hagrid! You can't let that foul Skeeter woman do this to you! Hagrid, get out here, you're just being - "

Dumbledore opened the door.

"About t-!" Hermione said, and then stopped, very suddenly, as she realized she was standing face-to-face with the Headmaster.

"Good afternoon," he said pleasantly, smiling down at them.

"We-er-we wanted to see Hagrid," said Hermione in a rather small voice.

"Yes, I surmised as much," said Dumbledore, his eyes twinkling. "Why don't you come in?"

"Oh . . . um ... okay," said Hermione, stepping inside rather shyly, Ron and Harry following. The moment Harry set foot inside, Fang launched himself upon him, barking madly and trying to lick his ears. Harry, however, only had eyes for the short woman standing by Hagrid's stove. He quickly fended off Fang and rushed towards his Godmother.

"Buffy!"

Buffy grinned. "Hi, Harry," she said. "I'd hoped you'd show up."

Harry grinned, looking around, expecting to see Remus, Sarah and Phoebe there too, but his face fell as he realized Buffy was here alone.

"Where is - "

"The rest of the pack?" Buffy asked, embracing him in a hug. "At home. Remus didn't think it was such a good idea, coming up here so soon after being revealed as a werewolf, what with Ministry people and mad reporters flying around. He's such a wimp."

"It was probably intelligent," Hermione sniffed. "Considering Rita Skeeter seems to be everywhere."

Harry walked over to Hagrid, who looked a real mess. His face was blotchy, his eyes swollen, and he had gone to the other extreme where his hair was concerned; far from trying to make it behave, it now looked like a wig of tangled wire.

"Hi, Hagrid," he said.

Hagrid looked up.

"'Lo," he answered in a very hoarse voice.

"More tea, I think," said Dumbledore, closing the door behind Harry, Ron, and Hermione, drawing out his wand, and twiddling it; a revolving tea tray appeared in midair along with a plate of cakes. Dumbledore magicked the tray onto the table, and everybody sat down. There was a slight pause, and then Dumbledore said: "Did you by any chance hear what Miss Granger was shouting, Hagrid?"

Hermione went slightly pink, but Dumbledore smiled at her and continued, "Hermione, Harry, and Ron still seem to want to know you, judging by the way they were attempting to break down the door."

"Of course we still want to know you!" Harry said, staring at Hagrid. "You don't think anything that Skeeter cow - sorry, Professor," he added quickly, looking at Dumbledore.

"I have gone temporarily deaf and haven't any idea what you said Harry," said Dumbledore, twiddling his thumbs and staring at the ceiling. Buffy coughed to cover up a laugh.

"Er-right," said Harry sheepishly. "I just meant Hagrid, how could you think we'd care what that-woman- wrote about you?"

Two fat tears leaked out of Hagrid's beetle-black eyes and fell slowly into his tangled beard.

"Living proof of what I and Mrs Lupin have been telling you, Hagrid," Dumbledore said, still looking carefully up at the ceiling. "I have shown you the letters from the countless parents who remember you from their own days here, telling me in no uncertain terms that if I sacked you, they would have something to say about it -"

"Huh. That's more than what Remus' has got," Buffy said lightly. "We're only getting howlers. And, letters with dung bombs. Really, you're way better off than we are."

Hagrid blew his nose in the small handkerchief. "But not all of 'em," he said hoarsely. "Not all of 'em wan me ter stay."

"Really, Hagrid," Buffy sighed. "You can't please everybody."

"Mrs Lupin is correct," Dumbledore added, peering sternly over his half-moon spectacles. "If you are holding out for universal popularity, I'm afraid you will be in this cabin for a very long time. Not a week has passed since I became headmaster of this school when I haven't had at least one owl complaining about the way I run it. But what should I do? Barricade myself in my study and refuse to talk to anybody?"

"Yeh - yeh're not half-giant!" said Hagrid croakily.

"Hagrid, look what I've got for relatives!" Harry said furiously. "Look at the Dursleys!"

Buffy smiled at her Godson.

"An excellent point," said Professor Dumbledore. "My own brother, Aberforth, was prosecuted for practicing inappropriate charms on a goat. It was all over the papers, but did Aberforth hide? No, he did not! He held his head high and went about his business as usual! Of course, I'm not entirely sure he can read, so that may not have been bravery. . .."

Buffy laughed. "As does Remus. And, I can assure you, he does know how to read."

"Come back and teach, Hagrid," said Hermione quietly, "please come back, we really miss you."

Hagrid gulped. More tears leaked out down his cheeks and into his tangled beard. Dumbledore stood up. "I refuse to accept your resignation, Hagrid - just as I should have refused Remus' - and I expect you back at work on Monday," he said. "You will join me for breakfast at eight-thirty in the Great Hall. No excuses. Good afternoon to you all."

Dumbledore left the cabin, pausing only to scratch Fang's ears. When the door had shut behind him, Hagrid began to sob into his dustbin-lid-sized hands. Hermione kept patting his arm, and at last, Hagrid looked up, his eyes very red indeed, and said, "Great man, Dumbledore . . . great man . .."

"Yeah, he is," said Ron. "Can I have one of these cakes, Hagrid?"

Buffy's eyes bulged as Ron grabbed one of Hagrid's infamous rock-cakes. He really must feel sorry for him, if he was risking his teeth. Her respect for Ron Weasley went up a notch.

"Help yerself," said Hagrid, wiping his eyes on the back of his hand. "Ar, he's righ', o' course - yeh're all righ'...I bin stupid...my ol' dad woulda bin ashamed o' the way I've bin behavin'..." More tears leaked out, but he wiped them away more forcefully, and said, "Never shown you a picture of my old dad, have I? Here..."

Hagrid got up, went over to his dresser, opened a drawer, and pulled out a picture of a short wizard with Hagrid's crinkled black eyes, beaming as he sat on top of Hagrid's shoulder.

"Tha was taken jus' after I got inter Hogwarts," Hagrid croaked. "Dad was dead chuffed ... thought I migh' not be a wizard, see, 'cos me mum ... well, anyway. 'Course, I never was great shakes at magic, really... but at least he never saw me expelled. Died, see, in me second year..."

Buffy gave him a sympathetic look, clapping him on the shoulder, watching out of the corner of her eye of Ron bit into one of the cakes - a crunching sound was heard (the sound of broken teeth) and tears appeared in the red-head's eyes. Buffy quickly vanquished the cake when Hagrid wasn't looking, and then did a quick numbing spell on Ron's mouth, which should hold long enough for him to get up to the hospital wing - as Hagrid was busy talking.

"...Dumbledore was the one who stuck up for me after Dad went. Got me the gamekeeper job . . . trusts people, he does. Gives 'em second chances ... tha's what sets him apar' from other heads, see. He'll accept anyone at Hogwarts, s'long as they've got the talent. Knows people can turn out okay even if their families weren' ... well... all tha' respectable. But some don understand that. There's some who'd always hold it against yeh . . . there's some who'd even pretend they just had big bones rather than stand up an' say - I am what I am, an' I'm not ashamed. 'Never be ashamed,' my ol' dad used ter say, 'there's some who'll hold it against you, but they're not worth botherin' with.' An' he was right. I've bin an idiot. I'm not botherin' with her no more, I promise yeh that. Big bones . . . I'll give her big bones."

Buffy's eyes widened as she realized he was talking about the Beuaxbaton Headmistress. It seemed as if Madame Maxime was denying her giant heritage...and...had Hagrid had an affair with her? That was...kind of cute. And very disturbing.

"Yeh know wha, Harry?" Hagrid said, looking up from the photograph of his father, his eyes very bright, "when I firs' met you, you reminded me o' me a bit. Mum an' Dad gone, an' you was feelin' like yeh wouldn' fit in at Hogwarts, remember? Not sure yeh were really up to it... an' now look at yeh, Harry! School champion!"

He looked at Harry for a moment and then said, very seriously, "Yeh know what I'd love. Harry? I'd love yeh ter win, I really would. It'd show 'em all... yeh don' have ter be pureblood ter do it. Yeh don have ter be ashamed of what yeh are. It'd show 'em Dumbledore's the one who's got it righ', lettin' anyone in as long as they can do magic. How you doin' with that egg, Harry?"

"Great," Harry said quickly. "Really great."

Buffy's eyebrow rose. Right.

Hagrid's miserable face broke into a wide, watery smile.

"Tha's my boy. . . you show 'em, Harry, you show 'em. Beat 'em all."

As they left Hagrid's cabin, Buffy turned to Harry.

"So...how are you holding up? Really?"

Harry squirmed. "Well...I-I'm alright. I've got it all under control."

Buffy grinned. "If you say so," she said in a sing-song voice. "But, if you ever need help...I'm just a letter away. Remus and I could use a letter that isn't full of death threats and silver. Don't worry," she quickly added as she saw the trio's horrified looks. "Silver isn't lethal to werewolves unless it comes into contact with its bloodstream. By the way, Harry," she said, punching her Godson's shoulder playfully. "How did you like your Christmas present?"

Harry glared. "Hilarious," he said, voice full of irony. "Really hilarious."

* * *

_"Harry Potter's Secret Heartache,"_ Buffy read out loud, theatrically. Phoebe and Sarah giggled. 

"A boy like no other, perhaps - yet a boy suffering all the usual pangs of adolescence, writes Rita Skeeter. Deprived of love since the tragic demise of his parents, fourteen-year-old Harry Potter thought he had found solace in his steady girlfriend at Hogwarts, Muggle-born Hermione Granger. Little did he know that he would shortly be suffering yet another emotional blow in a life already littered with personal loss." Buffy gasped, clutching her chest before continuing:

"Miss Granger, a plain but ambitious girl, seems to have a taste for famous wizards that Harry alone cannot satisfy. Since the arrival at Hogwarts of Viktor Krum, Bulgarian Seeker and hero of the last World Quidditch Cup, Miss Granger has been toying with both boys' affections. Krum, who is openly smitten with the devious Miss Granger, has already invited her to visit him in Bulgaria over the summer holidays, and insists that he has 'never felt this way about any other girl.'" Buffy sniffed and pretended to wipe away a tear.

"However, it might not be Miss Granger's doubtful natural charms that have captured these unfortunate boys' interest. 'She's really ugly,' says Pansy Parkinson, a pretty and vivacious fourth-year student, 'but she'd be well up to making a Love Potion, she's quite brainy. I think that's how she's doing it.'" Buffy couldn't help an eyebrow from rising as she read this.

"Love Potions are, of course, banned at Hogwarts, and no doubt Albus Dumbledore will want to investigate these claims. In the meantime, Harry Potters well-wishers must hope that, next time, he bestows his heart on a worthier candidate," Buffy finished. "This," she said, "is what the Lupins do when they read articles like this." She squeezed the paper into a ball, which she then set ablaze with a well-placed "Incendio!"

Sarah, Phoebe and Remus clapped their hands, whistling and cheering.

"Honestly," Buffy sighed. "In her first article, Skeeter insists that Hermione is 'stunningly pretty,' and now, she let's a Slytherin say she's really ugly. I wonder what Hermione did to piss her off."

Sarah wrinkled her nose. "Pansy Parkinson...isn't that the Slytherin who looks like a pug?"

Remus and Buffy quickly clapped a hand in front of their mouths, to hide their grins. "Now, Sarah," Remus admonished lightly. "You shouldn't speak ill of others like that."

"But you always say we should tell the truth," Sarah protested, blinking innocently. Phoebe giggled, stuffing a fist in her mouth. Buffy sighed, shaking her head mockingly.

"You're corrupting your sister, Sarah."

"That's the plan," Sarah said brightly

* * *

**A/N:** Hope you liked the chap! In the next chapter, we move on to the Order of the Phoenix timeline. Please, REVIEW!

/Ida

* * *


	17. Mr Black

**Come What May**

Chapter 17 – Mr Black.

DISCLAIMER: Buffy the Vampire Slayer belongs to Joss Whedon, and Harry Potter to J.K. Rowling. I don't own anything…

RATING: PG-13 (T) to R (M) - violence, language, angst, horror, possible mild sexual interactions, etc. If you can watch BTVS/AtS and read HP, I doubt you'll have any problem with this story.

TIMELINE: AU. Part 4 in the OOTB-series. Takes place during the Prisoner of Azkaban, the Goblet of Fire and includes missing moments from the Order of the Phoenix. It begins at Hogwarts, wizarding time, and then as it switches to Sunnydale time, we jump to where the epilogue to "Never the Same" (Part 3) left off.

SUMMARY: BTVS/HP crossover. When Dumbledore arrives at Buffy's and Remus' doorstep, they are both very surprised, but agree to come back with him to the wizarding world and protect Harry Potter from Sirius Black, the man responsible for the murders of Peter Pettigrew and Harry's parents. Sirius has somehow managed to escape prison, out for revenge...but so is Buffy and Remus. How will all this mess end?

PAIRING: Buffy/Remus

**Special Thanks to:** **My Beta -** CharmedChick

* * *

It was a few days after the end of term at Hogwarts, and a few days since the small notice in the Prophet had mentioned Harry winning the tournament (the entire Lupin family had been surprised at the very tiny article - they'd had to scan the paper several times before finally seeing it), and since then, the Prophet had been less than kind to the Boy-Who-Lived and Albus Dumbledore, and both Remus and Buffy had been confused as to why. They had tried to contact Dumbledore, but to no avail, this far.

Buffy was currently standing in the kitchen, making pasta (it still was the one and only meal besides fast food that she could cook without destroying the kitchen), when suddenly, her sensitive hearing picked up a scratching sound, coming from the front door

Frowning, she put down the sleeve and walked out of the hall, pulling out her wand as she quickly opened the door - and was attacked by a gigantic black fur ball, yapping and licking her on the face with a wet tongue.

"- BLURGH - What the - spit - fuck! - spit."

The black dog - because that was what the fur ball had been - jumped off of her and laid down on all fours, panting, tongue hanging out of its mouth, eyes glittering, seemingly with mirth. Buffy glared and put her hands on her hips.

"Sirius Black!" She said sternly. "You transform back right this instant!"

The dog stood up, and three seconds later, a man stood in his place, hair too long and straggly, and clothes hanging off his thin, dirty frame.

"Wow, Buffy," Sirius said. "You sure got that mommy scolding voice down pat."

Buffy glared again, but then her expression softened. "What are you doing here, Sirius?"

"What? No hug?" Sirius said with a grin, stretching out his arms towards her. Buffy quickly backed a step.

"Uh-uh. Not until you've had a long bath, mister."

Sirius gave her a wounded look. "But Buffy, I've been living in a cage. Give me a break!"

"Washing first, hug later," Buffy insisted.

Sirius shook his head in mock despair. "Marriage and having kids has made you boring, Buff."

"Or, it may have to do something with the fact that I've grown up and you're still stuck with the mind of a five year old."

Sirius smirked. "And I repeat - adult life has made you boring."

Buffy rolled her eyes and walked into the living room, throwing herself down in a chair, while Sirius took the couch. Buffy noted with misery that she'd have to clean later...or rather, Remus could clean, while she watched. Much better. Buffy inwardly smirked in satisfaction.

"So...what are you doing here? Seriously speaking. No pun intended," she quickly added as she saw Sirius had opened his mouth to, no doubt, do his infamous 'but I am Sirius' joke.

"Aww, you're no fun," Sirius pouted, but then quickly sobered up. He gave her a somber look. "Voldemort is back."

* * *

"Dragons, enraged Merpeople, crazy reporters, Moody who isn't Moody, and now VOLDEMORT is back, which the Ministry refuses to acknowledge. I'm not sure my heart can take much more of this," Buffy said, putting her head in her hand. "I'm getting old."

"And it's only now she's noticing," Sirius muttered to himself. Then he noticed something else about Buffy, which he hadn't thought about until now. His jaw dropped.

"You're...brunette."

Buffy looked up, surprised he hadn't noticed it earlier.

"Yes," Buffy stated, sighing. "I decided to go for the 'au natural' look for awhile."

"So...it has got nothing to do with the fact that you managed to screw up the last hair coloring potion so your hair turned green instead of the intended blonde?" Remus said mildly, as he stepped into the room.

"Oh, shut up," Buffy said, throwing a pillow at him.

Sirius blinked. "Your hair...turned green?"

And he burst out laughing.

Buffy glared.

Remus' lips twitched, sitting down beside Sirius. "And," he continued. "She couldn't come up with a way to turn it back, without giving the potion another try, which she refused. Muggle hair coloring refused to work - actually, it made it worse - so, in the end, she had to grow her hair out with a hair growth charm and then cut the green colored hair off, leaving her with the natural brown."

Buffy glared again. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

Remus shrugged innocently. "It was pretty funny. And, there's nothing wrong with brown. I like it."

Buffy sighed, wrapping a piece of her hair around one of her fingers. "It's alright, I suppose. I just need to get re-used to it, I guess."

Sirius smirked. "Or, get over your sudden fear of hair coloring potions and make a new one."

Buffy stuck out her tongue. "Why don't you tell Remus why you're here, Sirius?"

"Right." Pause. "Voldemort is back."

"WHAT?" Remus exclaimed, standing up.

Sirius nodded.

"And," he continued, "in the words of Albus Dumbledore..." He cleared his throat, and opened his mouth, his voice an almost perfect imitation of the Headmaster: "'_You are to alert Buffy and Remus Lupin, Arabella Figg, Mundungus Fletcher - the old crowd. Lie low at the Lupin's for a while; I will contact you there.'_ So, here I am."

Remus sank back down on the couch. "Tell us everything."

* * *

"So...now our mission is to contact Arabella and Dung, unless you've already done so, Sirius, before coming here."

Sirius snorted. "Not bloody likely. If I showed up on their doorstep alone, I'd be hexed first and asked questions later. That is, if they don't alert the Ministry before that can happen." He frowned. "Although...since Arabella is a squib, I'd be more likely to catch a frying pan to the head... And if Dung is anything like he used to, he'll be too drunk to notice it's me anyway...Huh. Maybe that's why Dumbledore sent me."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "So, I suppose professor DD takes care of the rest of the fire birds?"

Sirius shrugged. "Don't know. I guess we'll find out when he contacts us." He frowned. "What's that smell?"

Remus frowned too, sniffing. "It's smelling burnt...it's coming frown the kitchen."

Buffy's eyes widened and she jumped up from her chair, rushing out. "OH MY GOD! I FORGOT THE PASTA!"

Remus groaned while Sirius chuckled. "Some things never change..."

"Unfortunately," Remus muttered. "How she manages to be such a kitchen disaster, I'll never know."

Sirius patted him on the shoulder. "It must be a gift."

* * *

An hour or so later, and after Remus had picked up the phone and ordered Chinese, the Lupins and Sirius sat by the kitchen table, eating their food in silence.

"So," Sarah said, dipping her fried shrimp in some chili sauce. "You're Mr Black."

Sirius choked on the noodles he'd put in his mouth. "Mister?" He croaked, looking up at Sarah incredulously. "No, no, not a 'mister'. Only my professors are allowed to call me 'mister,' and only during excruciating circumstances!"

Remus rolled his eyes, while Sarah gave Sirius a curious look. "Why?"

"Why? Why, she wonders?" Sirius shook his head in mock despair. "It makes me feel old," he then explained. "When I was in school, it was alright, because then I was a kid. And, if say, McGonagall or Dumbledore calls me 'Mr' now, it doesn't matter either, considering they are both ancient."

Remus and Buffy snickered.

"So you're in denial," Sarah stated. "Because you are old." Buffy snorted and Remus quickly covered up a laugh with a cough. Sirius reddened.

"I'm not old. I'm...mature."

"That can be debated," Remus mumbled to Buffy, who gave him an amused grin.

"Which is the same as being old," Sarah stated again, matter-of-factly.

Sirius' eyes narrowed. "Listen here, you little brat - "

Sarah turned to Phoebe with a wide innocent look. "I must have hit a soft spot." Phoebe giggled.

"You little..."

"Sirius!" Remus interrupted. "Have you tasted the sauce yet? It's very good."

Sirius humped. "Whatever."

Throughout the rest of the meal, Sarah kept making faces and sticking out her tongue at Sirius, to Phoebe's giggles, while Sirius silently fumed, and Remus and Buffy pretended it was raining, while trying to hold back their laughter.

After the children asked to be excused, and left the table, Sirius turned to Remus.

"I don't like your children," he stated.

Buffy grinned. "Oh, Sirius, Sarah was just teasing. She loves to rile people up. Especially when they are such easy targets."

"Are you calling me an easy target?" Sirius snapped.

Remus chuckled. "You just proved her point."

Sirius pouted, crossing his arms. "I still don't like Sarah. She's a little devil in disguise."

"As were you, when you were her age, if I remember correctly. You'll sing a different tune when she comes back home at Christmas," Remus promised. "It will be her first year at Hogwarts, you know, and Snape is an even easier target than you."

Slowly, slowly, Sirius brightened. "You know what, Remus, Buffy? I think Sarah and I will be the bestest of friends." He stood up, rushing out of the room. "Oi, brats! You want some tips from a marauder?"

Remus and Buffy were left alone at the table, chuckling and shaking their heads at Sirius' antics.

* * *

"I DON'T WANNA!" Sirius complained, fighting with teeth and nails as Buffy dragged Sirius out of the children's playroom with force.

"You, are going to have a bath, if it's the last thing I ever do," Buffy said. "You've already dirtied down the whole house."

"BUT I WANT TO PLAY!"

Remus rolled his eyes. "Honestly, Sirius...you're such a baby. You should be happy to get all that grime off."

"NOOOO!"

"You tell them, Mr Black!" Sarah cheered.

"What have I done to deserve this?," Buffy muttered, before flinging Sirius onto her shoulder and walked into the bathroom, the door slamming shut behind them. Sirius screaming could be heard for a long time.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING? NOOOO! STOP THAT!"

"Stop struggling! Get undressed, and get down in the bath!"

SPLASH!

"SIRIUS, YOU FUCKING IDOT! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!"

Remus hastily covered Phoebe's ears. (He'd realized by now that Sarah was corrupted beyond all salvation, and that covering her ears would prove futile considering she knew worse words than those currently coming out of Buffy's mouth.)

A minute later, Buffy came out, dripping wet, and fuming.

Remus' lips twitched. "I thought Sirius was the one to take a bath, not you?"

Buffy glared. "Oh, shut up." She snorted. "Once he'd managed to properly make me wet first, which I'm sure was his goal with his childish act from the beginning, and, after I promised he could have Phoebe's bathing toys, he said he'd 'love to have a bath.'" She shook her head. "He'll never make any sense to me."

"When he does, is when we should be worried," Remus smirked.

* * *

Sirius was sitting newly bathed, in Remus' bathrobe in front of Buffy's vanity dresser, frowning at Buffy who was holding a scissor in her hand.

"Moony...are you sure she knows what she's doing?" Sirius said, shooting a look at Sarah and Phoebe, who were bouncing on the bed, watching Sirius and Buffy with the scissor with glee, and therefore, wasn't doing anything to calm him down.

Remus chuckled. "Yes."

"Well..." Sirius squirmed. "Considering she's the one who managed to color her own hair green, you can't blame me for being anxious."

"That was a potion," Buffy said calmly. "I'd be more worried about the fact that you made me wet, and because of that, I'm probably out for revenge."

Sirius' eyes widened, and he made a move as to get up from the chair, but, too late.

SNIP.

Sirius gulped, closing his eyes.

"Save me Merlin..."

"Don't worry. I'm sure a Mohawk will look good on you."

Sirius eyes snapped open in shock. "You wouldn't dare!"

Buffy just smirked. "Sit still, Sirius. You don't want me to make a wrong cut somewhere," she sing-songed.

Sirius clasped his hands together in a prayer.

* * *

"So, Mr Black, how do you like your new haircut?"

Sirius eyes flew open and he looked at his mirror image, frowning, as he let his hands travel along his black - and clean - hair. "It's...okay!" He sounded surprised. His black hair was the way it had been, before Azkaban, ending just below his shoulders.

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Of course it's okay. Not even I am so evil that I'd destroy your hair."

Sirius grinned. "Thanks." He inspected his image again, pouting with his lips, fluttering his eyelashes. "Do I look pwetty now?"

Phoebe giggled, Sarah grinned and Remus and Buffy rolled their eyes.

* * *

"Hello Fawkes," Buffy said, accepting the two letter the proud firebird eld in his talons. "Is it from Dumbledore?"

The bird chirped once, before disappearing in a burst of flames.

"Oi, Remus, Sirius!" Buffy yelled. "We have a message from the Headmaster!" She grinned as she read Sarah's name on the other letter. "And Sarah, there's a letter for you too!"

There was a whoop of joy as Sarah rushed into the room, Phoebe in tow, Sirius and Remus following.

"Is it my acceptance letter to Hogwarts? Is it?" She asked breathlessly.

Buffy threw the letter at her. "Read it, and find out."

Sarah took the letter, addressed in emerald green to Miss S. Summers-Lupin, The Living Room, The Lupin Cottage, England, and read out loud:

"Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore, Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorcerer.

_Dear Miss Summers-Lupin,_

_We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment._

_Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31._

_Yours sincerely,_

_Minerva McGonagall,_

_Deputy Headmistress"_

She folded the parchment back together carefully, and took a look on the second piece. "And then there's a list of things I'll need," she continued:

_"Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry._

_Uniform_

_First-year students will require:_

_1. Three sets of plain work robes (black)_

_2. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear_

_3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)_

_4. One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)_

_Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags_

_Set Books_

_All students should have a copy of each of the following:_

_- The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) by Miranda Goshawk_

_- A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot_

_- Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling_

_- A Beginners' Guide to Transfiguration by Emetic Switch_

_- One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore_

_- Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger_

_- Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander_

_- Defensive Magical Theory by Wilbert Slinkhard_

_Other Equipment_

_- 1 wand _

_- 1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2) _

_- 1 set glass or crystal phials_

_- 1 telescope _

_- 1 set brass scales_

_Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad_

_Parents are reminded that first-years are not allowed their own broomsticks"_

Sarah pouted a bit at that. Remus, on the other hand, was frowning. "Can I see your letters, Sarah?"

Sarah shrugged. "Sure, dad."

"Where is it?" Remus muttered as he read through the letter.

"Where is what?" Buffy wondered. Remus didn't answer, but turned to Sirius.

"Read this. Is it only me, or is it something wrong with this?"

Sirius frowned. "_'Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorcerer...'_ Hey, you're right! Where are the rest of his titles? Old Dumble is supposed to be Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, and Supreme Mugwump in the International Confederation of Wizards!"

"And," Remus added, as he looked over Sarah's booklist. "Why is _Defensive Magical Theory_by Wilbert Slinkhard on this list? Sure, it covers a lot of theory, but, it is completely useless and boring and unnecessary. And nothing practical!"

Buffy, who was reading the letter from Dumbledore, had paled.

"Uh...guys. I may know why." She cleared her throat. "'_Dear Buffy, Remus and Sirius,_

_I hope this letter finds you all in good health, and that you are enjoying being reunited.  
__I have no doubt, that, before reading this letter, from a crazy old lunatic with an obsession of lemon drops, you have read your daughter's. __I am quite certain, considering you are all very intelligent, that at least one of you have picked up on my sudden lack of titles. I am also quite certain that you have read the 'Daily Prophet' and noticed the many articles which discredit my name and Mr Potter's. __O__f course, it is not obvious, but it is there, especially if you bother to read 'between the lines.' It has all to do with the fact that, due to Minister Fudge's - and the Ministry in general - refusal to acknowledge Voldemort's return, we have decided to 'part ways.'_

_The removal of two of my titles, which I am certain will be mentioned in tomorrow's Prophet, is just the latest in a long line of steps that have been taken to limit my power. Of course, I could care less, as long as I am not taken off of the Chocolate Frog Cards. Another move by the Ministry that I am less happy about, however, is their appointment of the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. I would have asked Buffy to return, but, due to the Ministry's protesting, and the new werewolf legislation being passed and approved (yes, Remus, my boy, unfortunately it was - I expect this to be in tomorrow's Prophet as well), this is no longer possible. Motivating that 'due to my inability to appoint someone professional and Ministry approved to the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts', they has taken it in its own hands. The new Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor is Madame Dolores Umbridge - "_

" - WHAT!" Remus and Sirius yelled.

_" - something which will bring Hogwarts, and, even the Order and Harry Potter, a large amount of trouble. The Ministry is watching my every step and every move, and I cannot stress enough how careful you too must be. Sirius, if it was important for you to lay low before, it is even more so now. Buffy, do no draw unnecessary attention to yourself, and Remus, be careful. You all know Madame Umbridge is the one who drove the werewolf legislation through - she has something of a grudge against 'half-breeds' and will stop at nothing to have them either thrown behind bars, thrown out of the country, or even neutralized - executed. Which also means, that you must make certain your daughter knows how important it will be to keep her head down and nose out of trouble, now that she is starting Hogwarts. M__adame Umbridge will stop at nothing. _

_On to other things; Sirius, if you haven't already done so, contact Mundungus Fletcher immediately. I, myself, have already contacted Arabella Figg, since I needed her to keep an even stronger lookout at Harry than usual, due to the fact that the Dementors have shown signs that they plan on straying from Azkaban. Instead of Arabella, I want you to recruit Nymphadora Tonks; your cousin, and Andromeda's daughter. She graduated from the Auror Academy about a year ago. I suggest you take Buffy or Remus with you - considering she is 'family' and still believes you are guilty, she will probably fall into the category which says 'shoot first, ask questions later.' _

_Again, be careful._

_Best of Luck,_

_Albus Dumbledore'"_

"Well," Sirius said. "We'll need it, for sure."

"DAMNIT!" Remus swore, and everyone jumped. Sarah and Phoebe stared at their father in shock. "THAT FUCKIN' PIG! THAT-THAT INCEST BRED MOTHER FUCKER! BLOODY HELL! I WANT TO WRING HER NECK AND - "

Sarah squeaked, her eyes widened as she heard several words she hadn't heard before coming out of her normally composed dad and she quickly reached for a pen and paper.

Finally, Remus seemed to run out of words and stood there, taking a huge breath.

"Okay," he said. "I'm calm."

"Good to know," Buffy said faintly.

* * *

**A/N:** Oops...trouble brewing... Hope you liked it and don't forget to REVIEW! Next chapter will be uo by Easter.

/Ida

**

* * *

**


	18. Sisters

**Come What May**

Chapter 18 – Sisters.

DISCLAIMER: Buffy the Vampire Slayer belongs to Joss Whedon, and Harry Potter to J.K. Rowling. I don't own anything…

RATING: PG-13 (T) to R (M) - violence, language, angst, horror, possible mild sexual interactions, etc. If you can watch BTVS/AtS and read HP, I doubt you'll have any problem with this story.

TIMELINE: AU. Part 4 in the OOTB-series. Takes place during the Prisoner of Azkaban, the Goblet of Fire and includes missing moments from the Order of the Phoenix. It begins at Hogwarts, wizarding time, and then as it switches to Sunnydale time, we jump to where the epilogue to "Never the Same" (Part 3) left off.

SUMMARY: BTVS/HP crossover. When Dumbledore arrives at Buffy's and Remus' doorstep, they are both very surprised, but agree to come back with him to the wizarding world and protect Harry Potter from Sirius Black, the man responsible for the murders of Peter Pettigrew and Harry's parents. Sirius has somehow managed to escape prison, out for revenge...but so is Buffy and Remus. How will all this mess end?

PAIRING: Buffy/Remus

**Special Thanks to:** **My Beta -** CharmedChick

* * *

"Dung wasn't in the original Order, right?" Buffy asked Remus as she put on her coat, Padfoot jumping by her feet.

"No," Remus said, shaking his head. "He was never in it officially, he was just one of Dumbledore's less respectable contacts."

Buffy nodded. "Right. Well, I'll see you tonight." She gave Remus a quick kiss. "Bye."

"Bye."

Buffy scooped Padfoot up in her arms, and with a 'crack' they were gone. Remus turned to Sarah and Phoebe, clapping his hands together with a grin.

"So," he said. "Let's empty mum's 'secret' chocolate stash, shall we?"

Sarah and Phoebe cheered.

* * *

"I hate Knockturn Alley," Buffy muttered to Padfoot, still in her arms (if she let him down, someone would probably think he was a snack). "And why am I talking to you? It's not like you can answer," she added. Padfoot seemed to laugh, tongue hanging out of his mouth.

Buffy let her eyes dart around the alley nervously. This place gave her the creeps. She shuddered. Suddenly, she heard raised voices coming from ahead, and she quickened her pace. Soon, she could see a dirty looking man being thrown out of Borgin & Burkes, along with several golden cauldrons with strange markings.

" - And don't you dare ever try and fool me again!"

The door slammed close. The man stuck out his tongue at the window, and then grumbled as he went to gather the cauldrons.

"...Soddin' suspiscious bastard...how was I to know the color hadn't dried yet?...the store assured me that would only take ten minutes...bloody muggles..."

"Hello, Dung," Buffy said.

The man, Mundungus Fletcher, jumped, and dropped the cauldrons.

"Can we go somewhere and talk?"

* * *

"So he's back?" Dung grumbled. "Couldn't stay dead...he's bad for business, that's what he is. Bloody You-Know-Who...tea?"

Buffy quickly declined, seeing as the liquid Dung had in his kettle looked far more like...well...something undrinkable, than tea. And she wasn't that big of a tea-fan anyway.

"No, thank you. Nice place you have here," Buffy lied, looking around Dung's 'apartment.'

Mundungus grinned toothily.

"Thanks. Got it for a good price, I did. Almost for free."

"Gee, wonder why," Buffy muttered, peering a the mold and dirt in the corners, the ruined tapestry and spider web. And...was that rat poop? Yuck.

"Why did ol' Dumble's send you, anyway? No offence, but...a girl like you, in Knockturn Alley..." he shook his head. "Anything could have happened." He gave her a once over, his look speculative.

"I can take care of myself," Buffy said, lips twitching, knowing Dung had never seen her 'in action'. "Besides, I wasn't alone."

The dog jumped out of her lap. Dung snorted.

"No offence, lass, but I hardly think a mutt is any defense. Even if it looks like a Grim. And - " He promptly fell off his chair. "SIRIUS BLACK!"

Sirius grinned. "Hello, Dung."

"Wha - how - wha - ?"

"I was innocent of all charges," Sirius said. "Pettigrew is the real villain."

Dung grinned. "Alright then. Tea?"

Buffy blinked. "Wait, you're not going to try and hex him?"

Dung shrugged. "If Dumbledore sent him, he's sure to be alright."

"Nice to know," Buffy said faintly, not really keeping up with Dung's sudden reaction swings.

"Well, we should probably get going. Dumbledore will contact you as soon as we have a place and time for a meeting," Sirius said.

"Right, right. You can show yourself out, right?" Dung said. "I wanna get back to business as soon as possible..." He gave the 'golden' cauldrons a longing look. Buffy's lips twitched.

"No problemo."

* * *

Nymphadora - who usually preferred to be called by her last name, Tonks - opened the door to her muggle apartment, yawning slightly. She stepped over the threshold, giving herself a little cheer for not stumbling over it, as she usually did - only to trip on the rug and fall flat on her face instead. She groaned.

"Great," she muttered, brushing herself off with a grimace, then shrugged. After all, she was used to falling all over the place. She threw away her outer robe and shoes carelessly into a dusty corner, and walked into the kitchen. There, she watched her reflection in the refrigerator, scrunched up her face, and the lime green hair immediately turned pink. She gave a satisfied nod. She opened the refrigerator, took out the left-overs from yesterday's meal (courtesy of her mother - she, herself, couldn't cook if her life depended on it), and carefully walked over to the table. She was just about to put it down as there was a knock on the door. She spun around, on high alert due to Auror reflexes, lost her balance...

CRASH!

She cursed. Another plate broken, another meal unsalvageable. She pouted.

The door opened and a brunette stuck in her head, a wand in hand. "Are you alright? I heard a crash?" She stepped inside, looking around.

Tonks gestured down to the food splattered over the floor. "No worries, just some spilt food. Nothing I can't handle."

The brunette's lips twitched as she took in the scene - half of the dishes stacked in the sink were broken.

"It seems like you're used to it?"

Tonks sighed. "Yes. I am the walking kitchen disaster. Actually, I'm a disaster pretty much wherever I go."

The dog at the brunette's feet seemed to snort, and Tonks blinked, not having noticed it until now. "Is he yours?"

"Ah... I suppose you could say that," the brunette said, sticking out a hand for Tonks to shake. "I'm Buffy Lupin." She nodded down at the dog. "And this is...eh...Snuffles."

"Tonks." She frowned. "Hey...Lupin...that sounds familiar..." Her eyes widened. "You were one of the DADA professors at Hogwarts about a year back! You're the one who's married to the - "

" - Werewolf. Yep. Anyway," Buffy said, quickly changing the subject. "Speaking of Hogwarts...I'm here because Albus Dumbledore sent me."

Tonks eyes widened. "Dumbledore?"

Buffy nodded. "Yes. This might take awhile...maybe we should sit down?"

"Uh...yes, sure." Tonks spun around, somehow managing to keep her balance this time, and walked over to the couch, carelessly throwing the piles of unwashed laundry onto the floor, and throwing herself onto it. Buffy sat down on an armchair after removing a bunch of magazines ("Witch Weekly") from it.

"Sorry about the mess," Tonks said, embarrassed. "I wasn't expecting guests..."

"It's fine," Buffy shrugged. "I've got two kids - I'm used to worse than this." Now, this wasn't exactly true - Phoebe was quite careful with putting away her things when she was finished, and Sarah, while bad, was not this bad. However, if a white lie was what it would take to put Tonks at ease...

Tonks grinned. "What are there names?" She gushed. "I've always wanted siblings."

"Sarah and Phoebe. Sarah will start Hogwarts this year."

"Oh, she'll love it," Tonks gushed. "I know I did."

"Yeah, me too. Anyway, back to business." Buffy cleared her throat. "Have you read the Daily Prophet lately?"

"Yes..." Tonks said slowly. "It doesn't really say anything these days...other than rubbish about Dumbledore and Harry Potter. I thought it was strange they never mentioned anything about the TriWizard Tournament other than that tiny little article. It was such big news during it, I mean."

"That's because the Ministry is bribing it," Buffy said grimly. "They don't want the truth to leak out."

Tonks frowned and she leaned forwards. "What truth? What do you mean?"

"Tonks," Buffy said carefully. "If I told you Voldemort - "

Tonks flinched.

" - Was back, and that Harry Potter saw him return, would you believe me?"

Tonks blinked. And burst out laughing hysterically. "That-that was a good one," she gasped, clutching her stomach. "I almost fell for it."

Buffy's grave look didn't change, and Tonks immediately stopped. She buried her face in her hand. "Oh, Merlin..." she muttered. "You're not just pulling my chain, are you?" She looked up.

Buffy slowly shook her head.

"You're serious about this, aren't you?"

Buffy slowly nodded.

"Bloody hell..." Tonks took a deep breath. "Okay. Tell me everything. I have a feeling there's a lot more to this than what you're telling me. I mean, why would you come to me with this otherwise?"

"You're right. There's a lot more. The last task of the Tournament was a maze," Buffy said. "In the middle of it, the TriWizard Cup - a portkey - stood. The one who grabbed it, would automatically be transported back to the arena, and be declared the winner. Only...the portkey had been tampered with, and it took the winner - Harry Potter - to a graveyard, instead."

Tonks was listening with rapt attention.

"However, Harry wasn't alone. Cedric Diggory had reached the cup at the same time as Harry, and they agreed to share the victory. They both grabbed the cup, and they both ended up in the graveyard."

Tonks paled, having a feeling she knew what was coming next. She'd heard that Cedric Diggory had died during the tournament...she would now find out how...

"Cedric Diggory was killed immediately, with no warning, by a Death Eater, who was attempting to bring back Voldemort through a dark ritual. For that to succeed, he needed 'blood from the enemy.' Harry's blood, 'forcibly taken.'"

Buffy's eyes had darkened, and Tonks gulped. How ironic, really...the boy who brought the end to You-Know-Who...was also the one who made his resurrection possible.

"Needless to say, Harry didn't stand a chance in preventing this. And Voldemort rose again. It was pure, dumb luck that Harry managed to escape at all."

Buffy took a deep breath. "When Harry told Dumbledore about it, he immediately told Minister Fudge. Only, he didn't believe him. Or rather, didn't want to believe him. Voldemort running around...well, of course he doesn't want to deal with that."

"It's always easier to look the other way," Tonks added quietly. Buffy nodded.

"Yes. So that's what the discrediting Dumbledore and Harry is all about. Fudge doesn't want the people to start to listen to them. And what better way to do that than to call them both a senile crazy old lunatic and a deranged boy, in desperate need of some attention?"

Tonks sighed. "I appreciate you telling me this...but, I'm not sure why. What can I do? Do you want me to try and create chaos in the Ministry, or what?"

Buffy snorted. "No. Not exactly." She patted Snuffles' - who'd jumped up in her lap - head. "You were probably too young to have had any part in the first war, so I don't expect you to have heard about this. But, during it, there was a group of people, specially founded to fight against Voldemort and his Death Eaters, led by Albus Dumbledore."

"The Order of the Phoenix," Tonks breathed.

Buffy smiled. "So you have heard of us."

"My mum mentioned it to my father once," Tonks admitted. "I was supposed to be asleep, but I wanted to know who the old man with the beard was who'd visited them earlier that day. Now I know it was Dumbledore, of course. Anyway, he'd wanted mum to join your Order - a resistance against Voldemort. She declined. People were dropping like flies, and she wanted to stay as neutral as possible. We were already targets, because mum used to be a Black. She didn't want to draw more attention to herself than what she already had, because she married someone with a muggle heritage. If it had only been her and dad, maybe she would have joined...but, since they had me..." Tonks shrugged. "But it's just a theory. The day after, we moved to another location, in the middle of nowhere. I wasn't happy about that then, but now I understand why. They wanted to live."

Buffy nodded slowly. "And you? Where do you stand?"

Tonks smiled wryly. "You're asking me to join your Order, aren't you?"

"I'm not denying it."

"I swore an oath." Tonks said. "The day I graduated the Auror Academy, I swore an oath. To uphold law and order."

Buffy nodded slowly, thinking she had her answer. She stood up." I understand," she said, resigned, and preparing herself to obliviate the young woman.

"Cornelius Fudge is not the law," Tonks continued, grimacing. "He's definitely not doing anything to help. What he's doing...or rather, what he isn't doing, will only make sure it will be chaos - not any semblance of order - when the truth does come out. And Voldemort is definitely not the law. He's everything I swore to fight. My loyalty is not to the Ministry. It's to the people of this country." She stood up, rising to her full height, a glint in her eye that made Buffy see why this, otherwise clumsy, young woman had managed to become an Auror, and why Dumbledore wanted her on his team. "Count me in."

Buffy smiled. "Welcome to the team." She sat back down. "Now, do you trust me?"

Tonks frowned, sitting back down as well. "Well, I just met you...but we're on the same side...so yeah..."

"Good. Don't move, and don't freak out, and don't pull your wand," she said.

Tonks eyes narrowed suspiciously. "What - " She let out a squeak and fell of the couch as the 'Snuffles' suddenly transformed into the body of Sirius Black.

"What the - !" She pulled her wand. "STUPEFY!"

Sirius ducked, and the spell hit the wall.

"I told you not to pull your wand!" Buffy sighed. "He's innocent of everything he was accused of!"

"Yeah, and my name is Nymphadora," Tonks spat, firing of another curse.

"Hate to break it to you cousin," Sirius said, rolling away from Tonks' barrel of hexes. "But it is."

"How dare you!" Tonks shrieked. "You...you...mass murderer! You're the reason I became an Auror in the first place!"

Buffy sighed, rubbing her head. "I knew I should have explained before letting you transform," she mumbled, before stalking over to Tonks and forcibly grabbing her wand.

"Sit," she snapped. Tonks glared and tried to take her wand back. Buffy threw to Sirius.

"_Albus_ _Dumbledore sent me_," Tonks muttered, mimicking Buffy. "Yeah right. You're probably a Death Eater too." She sat down, keeping her eyes at Sirius.

"No, I'm not. And Sirius is not a Death Eater either." Buffy said patiently. "Remember the Death Eater I told you killed Cedric Diggory? His name is Peter Pettigrew."

Tonks blinked. "Peter Petti - hey, hang on! He's the guy you blew up!" She pointed an accusing finger at Sirius.

"I wish," Sirius snorted.

Tonks rubbed her eyes. "Okay...so if Peter Pettigrew is a Death Eater...what does that make Black?"

"Innocent," Buffy said. "Of all crimes."

Tonks groaned. "I need a drink. A strong one. Like Fire-Whiskey."

"I wouldn't mind one myself," Sirius said, sitting down beside his cousin, placing an arm around her, like it was the most natural thing in the world. "I have a certain weakness for Fire-Whiskey too."

Tonks buried her face in her hands once again. "Actually, make it a double."

* * *

Two days later, Dumbledore appeared on Buffy's doorstep.

"Dumbledore!" Remus exclaimed. "What a nice surprise! Come in! We were just about to eat dinner. Would you like some?"

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "Ah, I would love to, but as it is, I am on a tight schedule. I actually came to see Mr Black."

"Of course." He smirked. "But it it's the food you worry about, don't worry. I cooked, not Buffy."

Dumbledore chuckled. "Which I'm sure your children and Sirius are grateful for." They stepped into the kitchen.

"Look who just arrived," Remus said.

"Professor DD!" Buffy exclaimed. "Come join us!"

"I just need to talk to Sirius for a moment," Dumbledore said. "I'd love to stay, but as I just told Remus, time is of the essence these days."

Sirius frowned. "What is it?" He lit up. "Have you caught Peter?"

Dumbledore shook his head.

"No, unfortunately not. I wanted to ask you if you knew of a place we can have as the Order Headquarters? We can no longer use Hogwarts, since Madame Umbridge will live there now, and will certainly report any sign of unusual activities to the Ministry."

Sirius looked thoughtful. "Well...my dear mother did leave me a lot of properties...none of them are very easily accessible though, and most of them aren't even in the country. I suppose it would have to be in a quite central place? So all Order members can get there quickly..." He tapped a finger against his chin. "Perhaps...Grimmauld place?"

"You're old family home?" Remus frowned. "But...you hated that place."

Sirius shrugged. "Its location is perfect. And it's big." It was clear he wasn't happy about using it as Headquarters, but would do it for the cause.

Dumbledore nodded slowly. "Grimmauld place...London. Hmm...yes, I think that could work. With your permission, Sirius, I would like to put it under the Fidelius as well. Just to be certain no one other than the Order can access it."

Sirius had stiffened noticeably at the mention of the Fidelius charm, but he nodded. "Of course."

"Excellent. It will be done during the first meeting, then. When can you move in?"

Buffy, Remus and Sirius looked at each other.

"Move...in?" Buffy said slowly.

"As in...moving in? For real?" Remus added.

Sirius face had grown dark.

"It is not safe here any longer," Dumbledore said. "Voldemort knows where you and Buffy live, Remus. And Sirius can definitely not stay here, not with the Ministry on your backs. It's only a matter of time before someone comes knocking. It's pure luck that he has managed to go unnoticed so far."

Buffy sighed. "Well...I suppose...we could leave whenever. If what you've told me of that place is even a little true, Sirius, we have some renovation and heavy cleaning ahead of us, before Grimmauld is even going to resemble anything habitable."

"Excellent," Dumbledore said. "You sooner you leave this place the better. Good evening." And with a small pop, he was gone.

Phoebe's lips trembled. "Mum? Dad?"

"It will be all right, sweetie," Remus said, patting her hand. "It will be all right. We're just going to move somewhere else for awhile."

Sarah gave her sister a hug. "Don't worry, Phoebs," she said. "I'll take care of you."

"It will be an adventure," Buffy added. "Sirius' child home is really creepy. You can pretend you're in a demons lair, or something. Play heroes. Like you do at home. But with a more realistic environment."

Phoebe didn't look in the least comforted by this. Sarah gave her another hug. "I've got your back," she whispered in her ear.

* * *

"Do we have everything?" Buffy asked Remus, wringing her hands, looking around.

Remus nodded, looking down at all their shrunken bags and trunks. "I think so. And if we have forgotten something, we can get it later. Nothing prevents us from apparating here and checking out the place every now and then. Just as long as we don't live here." He took a deep breath. "It just feels...weird. Leaving this place. Some of my best memories are here."

"Mine too," Buffy said. Remus put his arms around her, burying his face in her hair.

"I don't want to leave," he admitted.

Buffy sighed.

"Me neither."

* * *

Phoebe and Sarah stepped out in the garden, looking into the small fishing pond behind the house, and then in the forest beyond. This was their home, the only place in their father's world that were familiar besides Hogwarts.

"I'll miss this place," Phoebe said. "This is home. I don't want to go to some new strange place."

"Home is where your heart is," Sarah quoted, for once feeling quite solemn "We'll still have each other. Places can change and time goes on, but we are forever."

"No, we're not," Phoebe mumbled, putting her thumb in her mouth.

"What do you mean, 'we're not?' Of course we are!" Sarah said, upset. "We're sisters!"

"I know. But...you'll leave. When summer's over, you go to Hogwarts, and I'll be all alone."

Sarah frowned. "Well...I'll write to you, you know that."

"It won't be the same."

"Of course it won't be the same!" Sarah exclaimed. "But grow some backbone! You're a future Gryffindor, right? So prove it! Prove that you can manage without me being there, holding your hand! And stop sucking your thumb! It's not becoming for a girl your age."

Phoebe's eyes teared up. Sarah sighed, having a feeling she just screwed up. She didn't really know what she was doing. She wanted to keep being happy-go-lucky. In Sunnydale, for all its Hellmouth-y problems, she had never had to take on any real responsibility. Not of this kind, at least. There, Phoebe had been even younger than she was now, and hadn't really understood the dangers. And perhaps Sarah hadn't either. But now they were growing up. They were older. Wiser. Everything was changing...the world was changing. And Sarah didn't like it. Not one bit.

"I'm scared too," Sarah admitted, silently.

Phoebe's eyes widened, not expecting those words to come out of her sisters mouth. Ever. She let out a strangled sob, and threw herself in her arms.

Sarah hugged her.

"We're all scared..." she muttered, throwing the garden a last, longing look, before she lowered her eyes to the ground. "Come on," she said, easing herself out of the hug. "We better go back."

"Yeah." Phoebe said, reluctantly.

They started to walk.

"Sarah?" Phoebe asked.

"Mhmm..."

"I'm glad you're my sister."

* * *

**A/N: **Ah, Sarah's first steps into maturing...-sigh- I feel strangely nostalgic about it. Anyway, happy Easter! I don't know when next chapter will be up. Probably two weeks from now, since I will be gone on a holiday and next weekend do entrance exams for two post-graduate schools. Wish me luck and REVIEW!

/Ida

* * *


	19. Personal curiosity

**Come What May**

Chapter 19 – Personal curiosity.

DISCLAIMER: Buffy the Vampire Slayer belongs to Joss Whedon, and Harry Potter to J.K. Rowling. I don't own anything…

RATING: PG-13 (T) to R (M) - violence, language, angst, horror, possible mild sexual interactions, etc. If you can watch BTVS/AtS and read HP, I doubt you'll have any problem with this story.

TIMELINE: AU. Part 4 in the OOTB-series. Takes place during the Prisoner of Azkaban, the Goblet of Fire and includes missing moments from the Order of the Phoenix. It begins at Hogwarts, wizarding time, and then as it switches to Sunnydale time, we jump to where the epilogue to "Never the Same" (Part 3) left off.

SUMMARY: BTVS/HP crossover. When Dumbledore arrives at Buffy's and Remus' doorstep, they are both very surprised, but agree to come back with him to the wizarding world and protect Harry Potter from Sirius Black, the man responsible for the murders of Peter Pettigrew and Harry's parents. Sirius has somehow managed to escape prison, out for revenge...but so is Buffy and Remus. How will all this mess end?

PAIRING: Buffy/Remus

**Special Thanks to:** **My Beta -** CharmedChick

* * *

**A/N:** Read my Authors Note at the end, please (anonymous reviewers espescially).

* * *

'POP.

A woman, with blonde hair, apparated onto the lane in front of a cottage, looking around, breathing in the crisp night air. She slowly walked up to the small house and she lifted her hand to knock. As soon as her hand came in contact with the door, however, it opened with a sound like a cat in pain. It hadn't been closed. She stepped inside, her wand lighting the way.

"Hello? Anyone home?"

Silence.

The floorboards creaked under her boots, as she made her way through a kitchen - the kitchen table still held the dishes from a meal. The woman frowned.

As she walked upstairs, she noticed all the bedrooms had been emptied: Not a single thing could be found on the shelves, or on the beds or on any desks.

As she searched the house more carefully, she still found nothing of importance. Shortly said, the house had been abandoned. Quickly, but efficiently. The woman let out a last sigh, as her sharp blue eyes swept over the living room one last time, before she jotted down something down in a notebook, and then apparated away.

* * *

Sarah and Phoebe looked up at the imposing building in front of them, shuddering, not only from the cold night air, but also because it looked creepy. Even more so in the dark, the only light coming from the glum sheen of the street lamps.

"This is were we're supposed to live?" Sarah said, her teeth clattering.

Sirius nodded. "Afraid so, kid." He took the few steps up to the door and pulled out a giant golden key, which he used to unlock the door - or rather tried. The door wouldn't budge. Sirius rolled his eyes, and placed his hand on the doorknob, muttering something under his breath. Finally, the door opened.

Sirius did a grand gesture. "Welcome," he said theatrically, "to Grimmauld Place."

Buffy, Remus and the kids carefully walked inside, looking around. Phoebe stopped in front of a curtain of some kind, in the middle of an otherwise blank wall.

"Sirius," she wondered. "What is this?" She lifted a hand to the curtains, and then stumbled back in shock as they flew apart, revealing a giant portrait of a woman, screaming.

"THIEVES!" The portrait yelled. "THIEVES AND INTRUDERS IN THE HOUSE OF BLACK! DIRTY FILTH! GOOD FOR NOTHINGS!"

Sirius rushed forward, shoving a shocked Phoebe into Buffy's arms. He glared at the portrait. "Hello, mother," he said.

The portrait shut up. "Sirius? Oh, my darling son," she said with a sickly sweet voice. "I knew you'd escape, I knew it. Oh, I'm so proud of you for embracing your heritage at last! I knew you'd do me and the Dark Lord proud - "

Sirius started to laugh, interrupting the portrait.

"I'm afraid you've got it all wrong, mother," he said, still chuckling. "I'm still a blood traitor." He smirked. "Doesn't it make you happy to know that your home soon will be the gathering place for those who oppose the Dark Lord? You know, blood traitors and half-breeds and the likes?"

A pause. Then...

"HALF-BREEDS! BLOOD TRAITORS! DIRTYING DOWN THE HOLY GROUND OF THE HOUSE OF BLACK! OVER MY DEAD BODY - "

"That won't be a problem, mother," Sirius cut in smoothly. "After all, you _are_ dead." He shut the curtains closed, and turned to Buffy, Remus and the kids who'd stared at the exchange with gawking expressions. Sirius clasped his hands together.

"Let me give you a tour!"

* * *

Kingsley Shacklebolt looked up from his work in the Auror office, as someone said his name.

"Kingsley Shacklebolt?"

"Yes?"

The interruption - a woman with strawberry blonde hair, and sharp blue eyes - gave him a small smile - but for some reason, he didn't become reassured by it, but rather uncomfortable.

"Alyssa Jones." The woman stretched out a hand. "Freelance reporter and Investigator of crime. May I have a moment of your attention?"

Kingsley immediately became wary. "Of course."

"Excellent." Alyssa gave him yet another one of those smiles. "You are currently in charge of the Sirius Black case as I understand it?"

Kingsley almost found himself freezing up, but forced himself not to show it. He'd been secretly approached by Dumbledore a few months ago, just after he'd been handed the Black case, and had been told the truth. Ever since then, Kingsley had been spreading false leads and information about Sirius' whereabouts. "Yes, that would be correct."

"I wonder if I may ask some questions about the case?"

"Certainly. May I, in return, wonder why you are digging in it? After all, the Aurors - myself included - are doing everything we can to capture him."

"Call it a...personal curiosity of mine," Alyssa said, her blue eyes glinting. "What drives a man, supposedly so loyal to his friend and to the cause, to betray his best friends to he-who-must-not be-named and kill twelve muggles, plus Peter Pettigrew, and, as rumors say, also his girlfriend, in cold blood?" She smiled again. "You are trying to capture him, Auror Shacklebolt. I am trying to figure out how he thinks."

"I see."

"So. The latest reports say Black was last sighted in China."

"That's...correct."

"And a report from twelve hours before that claim he was in Sweden."

Shacklebolt froze up, this time, visibly, and Alyssa's smile widened.

"I also wanted to talk to you about why no one has thought to question Remus Lupin and Buffy Summers-Lupin, Sirius Black's only surviving best friends from his school days. I find it strange that after being mysteriously missing for twelve years, they reappear, just as Black manages to escape, and then, as he disappears, goes underground again. I was at their home last night, but it was abandoned, though signs show they were there recently and left in a hurry."

"Really? I will have to look into that," Kingsley said, trying to regain his composure, while trying to look like he hadn't lost it in the first place.

Alyssa smiled yet again.

"Anyhow, there is no way Sirius Black can travel halfway across the world in that time. It takes time, and a lot of energy to apparate across borders. Flooing always leaves trails behind, as does portkeying. Even illegally made portkeys can be traced through the Ministry. The muggles are on the lookout, and anti-glamour slash polyjuice slash other charms to change or hide your appearance, have been set up around every airport, bus- and train station in the country, so I find it unlikely he'd get out that way. Flying on broomsticks or other magical vehicles would take far too long, and the same could be said about a flight on say...a Hippogriff, who mysteriously disappears only hours after it was freed, and, during the same time Sirius Black escapes from Hogwarts."

"What exactly are you implying?" Kingsley said, while slowly going for his wand.

"Oh, I'm not implying anything. I see three possible scenarios here, Auror Shacklebolt. A) Sirius Black has somehow managed to acquire some strange and unheard way of getting himself across the world very quickly and unnoticed, which I find highly unlikely, despite Sirius Black's supposed power. B) Sirius Black has somehow gotten people to impersonate him, while he, himself, is in hiding somewhere nearby, and you are stupid enough to follow all the wrong leads. Something I also find unlikely. One does not get a case like this without being clever. Or C) You are for some unexplainable reason covering up for him."

She leaned across his desk. "I know you are lying to me, Auror Shacklebolt." She raised an eyebrow. "And you can put that wand away. I've got people who will continue were I left off if I'd mysteriously forget all knowledge about the case, or if I'd 'disappear'."

Alyssa smiled again, and turned around, walking out of the Auror office. "I will be watching you, Auror Shacklebolt. Mark my words."

* * *

"This has got to be the dirtiest and most disgusting place I've ever been to," Buffy muttered as she did yet another cleaning charm. "And that includes all the demon nests from Sunnydale."

Remus grinned, wiping away some spider web from a corner. "Well, see it from the bright side."

"What bright side?" Buffy grumbled. "There's nothing bright about this place. At all."

Remus laughed. "I meant that after years of trying and failing, I've finally managed to get you to clean...voluntarily. That's real progress, don't you think?"

Buffy glared at him, trying to keep a grim expression, but she couldn't help but smile. "Well, if you say so. But honestly, I don't think I'd ever let it become this bad, no matter how much I hate cleaning. This place is...well, it's beyond gross."

"Insulting the home of my mistress, the bad people do," a hissing voice suddenly croaked out, and both Buffy and Remus jumped in surprise, spinning around, staring at the strange looking and dirty House-Elf that just had showed up, seemingly out of nowhere.

"Who are you?" Buffy asked, frowning. The Elf didn't answer, but just kept muttering to himself.

"Wish I could strangle them, yes I do. Poison their food...yes, yes! Hang them from the lamp-post and cut their throats in their sleep...bad folks! Evil folks! Destroying the purity of the House of Black. Half-breeds and animals!"

Buffy and Remus cast each other incredulous and slightly fearful looks.

"Eh...Sirius?" Buffy called out, not letting her eyes of the creature for a second. "Could you come here a second?"

"What?" Sirius poked his head inside the room, and then his eyes narrowed as he got sight of...

"...Kreacher."

"Is this...your House-Elf?"

Sirius face darkened. "Unfortunately."

"He was talking about murdering us," Remus said. "Does he...usually do that?"

Sirius snorted. "I don't know. When I lived here, he was _mostly _sane, but I suppose living here alone with only my mother's portrait would drive anyone mad. KREACHER!"

Kreacher slowly turned around, staring at Sirius, but his eyes were glazed over and he was still muttering. "The bad master is speaking to Kreacher...Kreacher wants to punish the bad master. Mistress wants him to punish the bad master too..."

Sirius rolled his eyes skywards. "There will be no punishing of anybody in this House other than yourself, Kreacher," he said. "And you will not hurt nor murder the people here either, is that understood? That's an ORDER, Kreacher. KREACHER, are you listening to me?"

Kreacher's eyes finally cleared and he glared at Sirius with hatred. "Kreacher hears the bad master and understands. Kreacher will obey him, though he does not like it."

Sirius smirked in satisfaction. "Good. Also, you will not tell anything you hear inside this house to anybody but those who _belong_ here. You are to keep your master's secrets and obey me without question. Do you understand? That's another order, Kreacher."

"Kreacher understands and will do as bad master says, even though he would rather burn him inside out," Kreacher hissed, his dirty and rotting teeth gritting against each other with an unearthly sound.

"Is he for real?" Buffy muttered in Remus' ear.

Remus just shrugged and sighed. "Seems like it."

"Oh, living here will be just fabulous," Buffy said, sarcastically.

* * *

"Welcome," Dumbledore said. "To the first meeting of the reformed Order of the Phoenix."

It might have been more of a grand atmosphere if Sirius and Snape hadn't been glaring each other, Remus and Buffy rolling their eyes, and the rest looking uncomfortable and rather scared.

"We're such an amazing bunch," Remus muttered sarcastically. "Half of them look like they're about to pee their pants, either by fright or enthusiasm."

Buffy had to bite her lip hard, to keep herself from laughing out loud.

"We welcome you all, both old and new. I suggest we all stand up, one by one, and introduce ourselves. I am Albus Dumbledore, leader of the Order of the Phoenix and also the current Headmaster of Hogwarts. I am also very proud to be on the chocolate frog cards."

Everyone laughed, and the mood seemed a bit lighter.

"Dedalus Diggle. I'm quite fond of my hat."

"Elphias Doge. I'm quite fond of my hat too, unfortunately, I lost it."

"I happen to know Lily burned it because she thought it was an insult to hats everywhere," Buffy whispered to Remus, and it was his turn to smother a laugh.

"Arabella Figg. My mission is to watch over Harry Potter, as I live rather close." A buzz of excitement went through the room as the famous boy-who-lived was brought up.

"Mundungus Fletcher, though you can call me Dung. You need any shady favors, I'm your man."

"Rubeus Hagrid. Keeper of the keys at 'ogwarts. I've met most of ye."

"Minerva McGonagall. Transfiguration professor, also Dumbledore's deputy Headmistress."

"Hestia Jones. My sister is Gwenog Jones. Yes, the famous Quidditch player," she added.

"Alastor Moody. CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" Everyone jumped.

"Gotta love Mad-Eye," Buffy muttered, then spoke up.

"Buffy Summers-Lupin. 'Retired' Healer and also the Slayer. Yes, I exist. Yes, I'm married to a werewolf. Moving on."

Remus grinned. "Remus Lupin. The werewolf in question. DADA teacher, currently out of a job. Permanently it seems," he added, humorously though. "Give me chocolate, and I'll love you forever." There were laughs at this, though some of the new members who hadn't met him before, looked slightly nervous.

"Sturgis Podmore. Got nothing more to say."

"Tonks. And no, I won't tell you my first name. Auror, and a Metamorphagus." Another buzz of excitement.

"Kingsley Shacklebolt. Head Auror."

"Emmeline Vance. I work at the Ministry."

"Severus Snape. Potions master and professor at Hogwarts. Also, the Order's spy in the Death Eater camp." Sirius gave him an ugly grimace and Albus gave him an admonishing look, which Sirius, of course, ignored.

"Arthur Weasley. I love muggles and work in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office."

"Molly Weasley. I will cook for you all."

" - And clothe and bath you if you ask," Sirius said loudly.

There were some snickers, though Molly glared.

"And just to get this over and done with," Sirius continued, "that's their sons Charlie and Bill. Bill's a curse breaker and Charlie-boy's obsessed with dragons. I'm Sirius Black, and you all know my story and that I'm innocent, otherwise you'd all have hexed me by now. Half of you are probably itching to do that anyway."

A few Order members looked a bit guilty, and Dumbledore smiled.

"Thank you, Sirius, for that enlightening information," he said. "Now, the first point is to discuss what we are supposed to do with the Ministry refusing to see the truth."

It wasn't much of a discussion really, Buffy thought. Dumbledore just put forward what he thought - that everyone should 'lie low' and gather as much information as they could without letting on they were doing it (I.e. just listen to what was said. No spying, no sneaking, no asking questions) - and everyone agreed or were outvoted. All in all, the meeting was quite boring.

"Right. If there are no further questions, I call this meeting to an end."

Kingsley Shacklebolt spoke up. "I don't have a question, but I do have something I need to share with you. I was approached in my office, not so long ago, by a woman, named Alyssa Jones. Any relation to you, Hestia?"

Hestia shook her head. "No. Jones is a quite usual last name."

Shacklebolt nodded, then continued.

"She called herself a 'freelance reporter and investigator of crime.' And she's digging rather deep in the Sirius Black case." He gave Sirius a quick look. "And, what's more - from what she said, she's getting results. She's already suspecting a cover-up and a possible conspiracy. Said she'd be 'watching me.' It will be hard to spread false leads with her looking over my shoulder."

Dumbledore fingered his beard thoughtfully. "Yes, indeed...tell me more. What was your impression of her?"

"Pretty. Sharp. Quick witted. Certainly intelligent. Cunning, even. What's even more interesting is that she seemed more interested in Sirius himself, rather than his crime. And she didn't seem sure that he is guilty. Which is what makes me think she could be a valuable asset to the Order."

"I say just obliviate her," Moody sneered.

"I tried. She saw right through me," Shacklebolt said. "And assured me that she had people to continue her work if something were to happen to her."

"She's bluffing," Moody said. "I'm certain of it."

"I'm far from convinced of that," Kingsley said, shaking his head. "It's not a good idea."

"Kingsley's right. I remember Alyssa Jones from Hogwarts. A Ravenclaw. Very intelligent, bordering on Slytherin cleverness," McGonagall said. "But in this case, I doubt she's bluffing. Alyssa Jones is very thorough."

"She wasn't in our year," Buffy said, thinking. "Right?" She added uncertainly.

"No, six years below. She was a first year when you were in seventh."

Remus drummed his fingers against the table top thoughtfully. "I think...I remember her being sorted. Was she the girl who sat with the hat on for an awful long time?"

McGonagall nodded. "Yes. She sat there the longest of that year's batch, I believe. The hat probably had trouble deciding between Ravenclaw and Slytherin."

"I remember her too," Bill cut in. "From my first and second year. She was in sixth and seventh year respectively then. A prefect. A lot of people had crushes on her."

"You included?" Charlie asked his brother teasingly. Bill's neck grew a bit red, but he didn't answer.

"Yes, she was a prefect. A rather...annoying one, I have to admit," McGonagall said. "If she caught someone doing something they shouldn't, she always wanted to know the reason behind it, before turning them in. And if she did, which wasn't that often, because she could 'see their point of view', she started to psychoanalyze them and give the professors the reasons behind the deed too, something which didn't interest us in the slightest."

Sirius, Remus, Buffy, Bill, Charlie and Tonks snickered.

"By the time she was finished ranting," McGonagall continued, "we were more than ready to let the culprits to get away with whatever they'd done, if only to stop her from talking. It's only now, afterwards, that I realize that was probably her intention from the beginning."

Sirius grinned. "I never tried that with you, prof."

"And I am very grateful," McGonagall said. "She was certainly the most interesting person I had to teach after you lot. Always wanted to know the most inane things. Such as why I turned the desk into a pig and not a dog because _they're prettier_. And then she had the nerve to ask if I could turn it into a dog just for her, and then let her keep it, because she'd always wanted a dog for a pet."

Sirius grinned. "I like her already."

"You would," Remus said, rolling his eyes.

"Anyway, my point is," McGonagall said, smiling a bit, "when she was a young girl she was naturally curious - why this and why that. As she got older she became more of a serious person - and no remark about that Black, please - very interested in the truth of things, and going to the bottom of every matter. It was of no surprise to me when Flitwick told me she'd told him she wanted to become a reporter during career advice. What did surprise me - and pleased me - was that she wanted to freelance, so no one could decide what she'd write."

"So...what do we do? Approach her about the Order?" Tonks asked.

Dumbledore smiled. "Yes. I think we shall."

* * *

**A/N: **One chapter left to go, and then we move onto the next part in the series, _Way of the Warriors. _I'd like those who don't have me on author alert (i.e. anonymous reviewers and those who only have me on story alert (and are to lazy to switch to an author alert). lol. ;D) to send me an e-mail (my adress can be found on my profile-page) so I can mail you when that part is up. Please REVIEW! Next chap should not take longer than a week, tops.

/Ida

* * *


	20. Thundercloud

**Come What May**

Chapter 20 – Thundercloud

DISCLAIMER: Buffy the Vampire Slayer belongs to Joss Whedon, and Harry Potter to J.K. Rowling. I don't own anything…

RATING: PG-13 (T) to R (M) - violence, language, angst, horror, possible mild sexual interactions, etc. If you can watch BTVS/AtS and read HP, I doubt you'll have any problem with this story.

TIMELINE: AU. Part 4 in the OOTB-series. Takes place during the Prisoner of Azkaban, the Goblet of Fire and includes missing moments from the Order of the Phoenix. It begins at Hogwarts, wizarding time, and then as it switches to Sunnydale time, we jump to where the epilogue to "Never the Same" (Part 3) left off.

SUMMARY: BTVS/HP crossover. When Dumbledore arrives at Buffy's and Remus' doorstep, they are both very surprised, but agree to come back with him to the wizarding world and protect Harry Potter from Sirius Black, the man responsible for the murders of Peter Pettigrew and Harry's parents. Sirius has somehow managed to escape prison, out for revenge...but so is Buffy and Remus. How will all this mess end?

PAIRING: Buffy/Remus

**Special Thanks to:** **My Beta -** CharmedChick

* * *

**A/N:** Please, everyone, read my authors note at the end!

* * *

"What the bloody hell is that?" Was the first thing out of Ron Weasley's mouth the moment he stepped into Grimmauld place and met the shrieking portrait of Sirius' mother for the first time. 

"Ron," Hermione scolded, entering after him (she'd spent some time at the burrow with Ginny). "Don't insult a lady!"

"It's a bloody portrait!" Ron said, rolling his eyes.

"So why did you ask what it was if you already knew?" Ginny said, sniggering, giving Ron a sisterly punch on the shoulder. Ron flushed red.

"Why is she yelling?" George said, entering before his twin, pulling out his wand and poked at the portrait's nose with the tip of his wand, which of course, only made her yell higher.

"Because she's mad, that's why," Sirius said, stepping into the hall, which was now becoming quite crowded, with all of the Weasley's (minus Percy, who was noticeably absent).

"Sirius!" Ron and Hermione exclaimed at the same time, while the twins just gawked.

"Sirius Black?" The chorused. They knew the story, of course, but seeing him in real flesh and blood was something different entirely.

Sirius smirked. "Pleased to meet you." He made a half bow, and then turned to his shrieking mother on the wall. "Oh, shut up." He pulled the curtains closed, but the shrieking could still be heard, albeit muffled.

"Just so you know, Hermione," Sirius continued lightly, gesturing towards the portrait, which curtains were fluttering. "That, is not a lady. If you start to define a lady after my cursed mother, I will definitely send you to a permanent ward at St Mungos."

Ron, the twins and Ginny snickered, as Hermione huffed indignantly.

"Why are you all standing in the hall?" A mild voice cut in, and everyone turned to see a bemused Remus in the door to the living room.

"Professor Lupin!" Five voices chorused.

Remus raised an eyebrow. "Not really your professor anymore, am I? Well, come on in. There's lots of space in the rest of the house."

He walked into the living room, the Weasleys, Hermione and Sirius following, Hermione looking around curiously, taking everything in.

"Nice to see you," Buffy said, standing up from where she'd been sorting through a cabinet, dust and cobweb in her hair.

"Who are you?" Ron asked.

Buffy smirked. "You don't recognize me? I'm insulted. I know I'm not the cleanest person, but I did teach you for a year."

"Professor Summers-Lupin?" Ginny said, startled. "I mean, Buffy. Wow, you look really different in dark hair..."

Ron's eyes widened, and you could almost see the light bulb get turned on in his head as he recognized his 'old' professor.

"Not that different," Buffy said, sniffing slightly.

"You're hotter as a blonde," Ron blurted out, only to grow red as he realized what he'd said. The twins, and Ginny snickered, Hermione gasped, and Remus hid a grin behind his hand. Suddenly, he was having a flashback to a 'discussion' the marauders had had, right after Buffy showed up. One about certain 'American hot blondies.' Sirius, perhaps reminiscing about the same thing (or maybe just finding it funny), howled with laughter, making Ron flush even harder.

Buffy smiled a bit. "I'll take that as a compliment. I actually happen to like the blonde better as well," she said, giving Remus a pointed look.

"What?" Remus said, raising his hand. "I haven't said anything."

"You didn't have to," Buffy said. "Your off-hand remarks says it all. 'Oh, honey, your clothes go really well with your dark hair.' Or, 'Buffy, have you thought about how we're saving a lot of money on not buying ingredients to your hair coloring potions?' Maybe your 'I have to say brown hair is much better when patrolling. You don't stick out like a sore thumb in the dark.' Or what about 'I can't believe that woman at the store. Every time we see her, she's got a different hair color. Why can't people just use what they're born with?' Obvious much?"

It was Remus' turn to flush as the others laughed.

"I don't find you less attractive as a blonde," he muttered. "I like you just as well in either. It's just...different, with the brown. I hope you know that I don't define you by the color of your hair!" He sounded a little bit offended, really. "I've complimented your hair several times as a blonde too!"

Buffy grinned. "I know. I'm just messing with you."

Their lips met in a kiss, and most everyone pretended to gag, while Ginny sighed, and Hermione seemed to study their technique. Sirius raised an eyebrow at this, but said nothing.

"MUM!" A voice shrieked and Sarah came storming in. "Phoebe has taken my diary and isn't giving it back!"

Following, was Phoebe, for once not looking sweet-natured, but in fact, had the expression of a thundercloud. "I HAVE NOT!" She protested. "I wouldn't do that! And why would I want your silly diary anyway? It's not like it contains anything important!" That's when she realized she had quite an audience, other than her parents in the room and she flushed.

"AND HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT IF YOU HAVEN'T LOOKED IN IT?" Sarah yelled, hands on her hips, glaring. Phoebe glared back, chin up in defiance, forgetting the audience in order to retort: "You're eleven, what could you have to write about that's so important? Boys?"

Sarah's jaw dropped in anger. "Are you saying I don't know what matters? I'll have you know - "

Remus cleared his throat to interrupt the argument, and Buffy sighed. "Phoebe, if you do have Sarah's diary, give it back."

Phoebe got tears in her eyes. "But I don't! I didn't even know she kept one, I swear! We don't keep secrets from each other; if I wanted to know something, I'd ask! We tell each other everything! Right?" She added, looking at Sarah, suddenly uncertain. Sarah wouldn't meet her eyes and Phoebe teared up even more. "You don't tell me everything?" Her lips were trembling.

Sarah looked up. "You're seven, Phoebs. There are things I don't want you to know - things you wouldn't understand." (Such as how her heart had beat a bit faster around a certain messy haired boy when they'd lived at Hogwarts - not that she knew _why._ Or that she felt quite sorry for Neville Longbottom who'd she accidentally stumbled upon crying once in the greenhouses - where she hadn't been allowed to go. He'd been horrified to see her, but Sarah had somehow forced it out of him that his parents were...well, _insane.)_

"By the way," Sarah added. "I'd never tell anyone else either - there are things I don't want _anyone_ to know. It's nothing against you." She felt slightly guilty for making her sister upset.

Remus and Buffy were just observing, letting the kids sort it out themselves. Sometimes, it was better that way. When they needed to interfere, they would, but trying to fix it themselves first was better. It added to the trust between them.

"Didn't you once tell me you thought diaries were silly?" Phoebe muttered. "When I wanted one?"

Sarah flushed. "Well...I was younger then. And you too! You didn't even know how to _write_! You only wanted one because that stupid Mary Albright down the street was waving hers around! Not that she could write either, mind."

The adults coughed, covering up their laughs.

Phoebe glared. "It wasn't because of that!"

Sarah just looked at her sister. "Oh. So, I got it all wrong then? You weren't following her around like a puppy when you were three, because - " she paused, frowning. "Actually, I don't know why. I don't understand why anyone would be envious of that...that...slag."

Remus and Buffy, who'd been slightly amused, up until this point, gasped, as did everyone else. "Sarah!" Remus admonished. "Do you even know what that means?"

Sarah looked a bit uncomfortable. "No. Not really."

"Well, I hardly think that a five year old Mary Albright, no matter how much you two did not get along, would do anything that could even remotely describe her as a _slag_," Buffy said. "I do not want you to put that word in your mouth, ever again, Sarah Lupin! And before you get it into your mind to utter a word you've heard God knows where, look it up first!"

Sarah shuffled her feet, thoroughly chastised. "Yes, mum."

"Anyway, we're talking about the diary now," Remus said, taking over and bringing back the discussion to the matter at hand, but his eyes were narrowed. "We have not finished this discussion yet. Not by a long shot!"

Sarah sighed. "Yes, dad." While her mother had sounded angry and upset, her father...well, he always sounded so disappointed when she'd done or said something bad, and that was somehow worse.

"So...if Phoebe hasn't taken the diary, and I believe her," Remus added as Sarah rolled her eyes. "Then who has?"

There was a sound of shuffling feet and everyone turned to look at the House-elf.

"Kreacher would know where the little bitch hides her treasure, oh, yes," he muttered, while pretending to clean the wall with a dirty towel, which only made the wall look worse than before. "But no one asks Kreacher."

Remus and Buffy's eyes narrowed. Sarah was clearly not the only one in need of a lesson in proper manners, which contained the lesson that name calling was not acceptable.

Sirius eyes narrowed. "Kreacher!" He barked out, and Kreacher jumped.

"Do bad Master want something from Kreacher?"

"Yes, I do," Sirius said. "What do you know of Sarah's diary?"

Kreacher only sneered, ugly and rotten teeth showing.

"Answer me!" Sirius said, kicking at him slightly.

Hermione frowned. "Sirius!" She said. "Don't hurt him!"

Sirius ignored her. "Have you taken anything from Sarah Lupin? If so, give it back to her. Now! That's an order!"

Kreacher glared, and then disappeared with a snap of his finger. After awhile, they started to think he wasn't going to come back, but then he reappeared, something red and small in his dirty hands. Sarah's diary. Sarah practically had to force it out of his hand, only to notice...

"It's empty!" She gasped. "All the pages I'd written on have been ripped out!" She turned to Kreacher, eyes blazing. "What have you done, you foul pathetic excuse for a being?"

Buffy and Remus didn't corrected her wording this time - after all...they did ring true. And, it wasn't anything they hadn't thought themselves. Or said, for that matter.

"Kreacher is under no obligation to answer the ugly girl. Kreacher's mistress, she is not."

Sarah's eyes almost bulged out of her head in anger. Ugly? She was only eleven, and didn't really care about looks and such things, yet, but she wasn't completely unaware of herself either, and she was certain she was far from ugly! Yet, it strangely _hurt _to have been called it, even if it had been by a House-elf who obviously had more than one screw loose. Suddenly, she realized why her parents had taken an objection to her name-calling.

"What did you do to the pages in the diary, Kreacher?" Sirius said, voice growling. "Answer truthfully."

Kreacher's eyes glinted in malice. "I read them," he said, delighted. "I read them and then destroyed them. The hideous one - " Sarah felt another twinge of hurt, " - won't ever get them back, no, no." He laughed. "Her secrets are out and gone forever. Kreacher knows." He laughed again, madly, and Sirius kicked him again in discuss. "Get out of my sight!" He spat at him. "Hide in the attic or something. That's what you're best at."

Kreacher obliged, and disappeared again, but not before sending Sarah a last, triumphant sneer.

"You shouldn't be so mean to him!" Hermione said, jumping down Sirius throat the moment the House-elf was out of sight. "He doesn't know what he's saying!"

"Oh, Kreacher is fully aware of what he's saying," Sirius said, eyebrow raised and arm-crossed. "You can't actually be defending the little devil."

"I pity him!" Hermione said. "If anyone bothered to be nice to him - "

" - It would make no difference," Sirius countered. "Kreacher has been in my family forever. No one's ever treated him right, and he's the result of years and years of bad treatment. He's a lost cause - trying to change behavior against him now wouldn't make him okay. He's gone too far 'round the bend for that to happen. He'd only take advantage of your nice attitude and use it against you."

"But he's a House-elf! A being!" Hermione protested. "He still have rights! And what can he do that's so horrible anyway?"

Sirius eyes darkened. "You really don't want to know what Kreacher - and any House-elf, really - is capable of. Believe me."

And he turned around, swiping out of the room, and that was the end of that discussion. Though Hermione would never lay of the topic, and would try and bring it up again, several times. Sirius answer would always be the same.

"Sorry," Sarah told her sister. "For blaming you. I should have known you weren't to blame."

"You're forgiven. I'm sorry too" Phoebe said, and the two sisters hugged. And for awhile, all was right with the world.

Remus smiled, turning his attention back to the Weasleys. Counting the red-heads, he frowned as he realized one was missing. "Where's Percy?"

Abruptly, Molly Weasley burst into tears, and fled from the room, followed by Arthur, Bill and Charlie, who glared at him. After a slight hesitation, Ron, Ginny and the twins lefts too.

Remus winced, realizing he'd somehow hit a sore spot without knowing it. "Eh...I just said something stupid, didn't I?"

Buffy clapped him on the back comfortingly. "It happens to the best of us."

* * *

"This is great," Ron whined, from the floor were he was cleaning the bedroom he was to share with Harry later this summer. "Mum's crying her eyes out over Percy the prat, Bill and Charlie are out somewhere, probably doing something important, and the twins are inventing. And me? I get stuck with cleaning duty! As if I don't get enough of this at home. This is child labor!" He said, sneezing. 

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Oh, stop whining," she said, dusting off a lamp.

Ron glared. "At least you're not the one on the floor," he muttered. "Why can't the adults do this? With magic?"

"They're busy," Hermione said shortly.

"With what?" Ron asked.

"Buffy told me the Order of the Phoenix is a secret society, with the people who fought against You-Know-Who last time, with some additions." Ginny said, stepping in. "This is their Headquarters and Dumbledore's in charge, he's the founder."

"Big surprise," Ron muttered.

"He's down there now," Ginny said, inspecting a nail and looking thoroughly bored. "And more are coming. I think they're having a meeting, but - "

Ron and Hermione gave each other a look. And then, as one, they threw down their cleaning rags and dashed out, their steps thundering down the stairs.

Ginny threw her hands up, staring at the dirty ceiling. "Why can't you let me finish?!"

* * *

"Dumbledore!" Ron said, stopping the Headmaster, just as he was about to step into the kitchen and close the door. 

"Can you tell us anything about Harry?" Hermione said, eyes bright.

"Can we be on the meetings?" Ron breathed.

"What are we to write to Harry?" Hermione added.

"Tell us more about what's going on!" Ron demanded.

Dumbledore held up his hand in surrender, chuckling slightly. "One question at the time children."

Ron and Hermione, who'd both opened their mouths again, quickly closed them, suddenly feeling rather small at having been called 'children.'

"Harry is safe," Dumbledore said. "At his aunt and uncle's. No, you cannot be at the meetings." He gave Ron, who was trying to squeeze his way in through the kitchen opening, which Dumbledore was still occupying. "Don't tell Harry anything important. And I mean, nothing. The owls might be intercepted."

"I'm sure he'll love that," Ron muttered.

Dumbledore ignored him. "As for what is going on, well, that is not really for children's ears. Goodbye." And he stepped into the kitchen and closed the door, right in front of Ron and Hermione's faces, both looking rather stumped.

"I can't believe he just shut the door!" Ron said indignantly, spinning around, facing her sister who was now calmly walking downstairs.

"Well, if you'd let me finish," Ginny said, throwing her red hair around her shoulder, "I could have told you we weren't allowed. I asked."

"But you're just a child," Ron said, dismissive. "Of course they wouldn't allow _you_."

Ginny's jaw dropped. "Excuse me?" She said, anger visible in her voice. "I am not a child! How-how dare you? You're not the one who's figured out how to listen into the meetings!"

Ron lit up. "You have?"

Ginny rolled her eyes. "I don't want to show it to _you_."

"Sorry, sorry," Ron said quickly. "You're not a child."

Ginny huffed, but pulled out something that looked like flesh colored strings from her pocket.

Hermione wrinkled her nose. "What, is _that?_" She asked. There was a crack behind her as the twins appeared. Hermione jumped. "Don't do that!" She hissed.

The twins smirked. "That, my dear Granger, is our latest invention. Extendable Ears. Let me demonstrate." Fred grabbed the strings from Ginny, placed one end against the door, and the other against his ear. George pulled out several more from his pocket. "Here you go," he said nonchalantly.

There was a wild squeeze as everyone tried to get the most comfortable place by the door...

"...Have we decided who's to recruit Alyssa Jones?" Buffy asked.

"I thought you and Remus could go," Dumbledore said. "She has been trying to find you, has she not?"

"Why not me?" Sirius said, grumpily. "I'm the one she's investigating!"

"Are you dim, Black?" Snape sneered. "Wait. Don't answer that."

There was a slight scuffle.

"Sirius, sit down!" Remus hissed.

"Order!" Dumbledore demanded, and everything fell silent. "Thank you. Sturgis, how is guard duty coming along?"

"Fine, fine," an unknown voice said. "It's tiring, sitting there hour after hour in the middle of the night. But nothing pepper-up doesn't fix."

"Excellent. Emmeline, how are you doing on the Lucius Malfoy front?"

"Not very well. I've been following him, but nothing he does is really suspicious. I think he might know he's being watched, though he hasn't seen me."

"Absolutely certain?" Dumbledore sounded grave.

"Yes. I wouldn't risk continuing otherwise. I like my life, thank you."

Some chuckles.

"And Severus. Have you heard anything interesting?"

"No. The Dark Lord is still recovering from his re-birth. But he is incredibly interested in 'the weapon,' as you already know."

"More so than earlier?"

"Yes."

"Hmm...Elphias. Do you have anything incriminating on Crabbe and Goyle?"

"No. Except being far from the brightest crayons in the box, if you catch my meaning. Are their sons the same way?"

"Yes," Buffy, Remus, McGonagall, and even Snape chorused.

More chuckles.

"I'd like to discuss the schedule of the guard duty," Ron's father said. "It isn't working very well, for me to do it during day-time. I need to be at - "

Suddenly, all the eavesdropped felt themselves being pulled away from the door and faced with a boiling Molly Weasley, eyes still red-rimmed from crying.

"And what," she said, voice dangerously low. "Do you think you are doing?"

The children all winced.

They were surely in for it now...

* * *

Alyssa Jones, Hogwarts graduate of Ravenclaw house, yawned as she was pouring over spread out papers on her kitchen table. 

"Sirius Black, where are you hiding?" She muttered to herself. "Or better yet, what are you planning?"

Ever since confronting Kingsley Shacklebolt, she'd thrown herself in her research with new vigor. She was certain he was hiding something. She was onto something big, she knew it. But what?

She groaned, letting her head fall onto the table top with a 'clunk.' It would be so much easier if she had someone to help her. But she didn't (even though she'd told Shacklebolt that she had several co-workers) - not for lack of trying though. But no one was interested in figuring out the mystery of Sirius Black. They were just interested in catching him. _"Why would we like to know how that mass-murderer thinks?"_ They'd sneer, and then, more often than not, giving her lewd looks.

It wasn't always a good thing to be young and pretty. No one took her seriously.

There was a knock on the door and Alyssa yelped, spilling out some of her coffee.

"Damnit!" She hissed, pulling out her wand and doing a quick cleaning charm. They'd never been her forte though, and some light brown stains remained on the documents.

She sighed and made her way to the door, opening it. "Yes?" Her eyes almost bulged out of her head as she saw the two people casually standing there.

The woman, Buffy Summers-Lupin, smiled brightly. "Hi! I heard you've been looking for us?"

Alyssa just blinked, still in shock. "Uh..."

"Can we come in?" Remus said. "I believe we can answer several of your questions..." He trailed of, as it didn't seem like Alyssa was listening. But then, the blonde snapped out of it and she got an eager look in her eyes.

"Of course! Follow me." The puzzle had almost been solved.

* * *

"It's...an interesting story," Alyssa said thoughtfully, when Buffy and Remus had finished talking. The couple gave each other weary looks. 

"You don't believe us," Buffy stated.

"Oh, I believe you," Alyssa said with a grin. "That's not the issue here. I will be straight with you. And expect the same courtesy in return, of course."

"Of course," Remus conceded, nodding his head slightly.

"Alright then." Alyssa stared them both in the eyes. "What do you want from me?"

Buffy and Remus blinked, looking at each other in slight confusion. "Want from you?"

"I'm not stupid," Alyssa said. "And what you've just told me...well, _why?_ You would have no reason to come here, give me the answer to all of my questions, and then expect me to believe I got it for free, and you just did this as a fun afternoon activity. I don't buy that. So. What. Do. You. Want. From. Me," she repeated slowly.

"We...uh..." Remus stammered, slightly caught of guard.

" - We want you in the Order. In the fight against Voldemort," Buffy interrupted bluntly, seeing no need to beat around the bush any longer. "The Order of the Phoenix, the one we told you we and Sirius were in."

"The one lead by Dumbledore," Alyssa added, leaning back in her chair, a thoughtful frown on her face.

"Yes."

"I'm not surprised you asked me this," Alyssa admitted. "I already knew the Order existed. It's hardly as incognito as Dumbledore would wish it to be. Anyone with a brain would be able to put together all the facts from the first war. I mean, it is kind of obvious. Why would Dumbledore show up with a group of fighters in almost every confrontation against Voldemort and his Death Eaters - most of whom have no connection to the MLE or the Aurors - unless he was leading a group of his own against the Dark Lord. After that, it's a piece of cake to map out who were at the sight, and from there, it's easy to figure out who's in the group, who's high ranking, and so on."

"You've given this a lot of thought," Remus noted, frowning. Did the Order have a _ranking system_? It had never crossed his mind... Alyssa smiled, a bit proudly.

"Yes. As you know, Sirius Black has been a bit of an obsession of mine. To figure him out, I'd need to put all the pieces together. Since he's in the Order, it is far from strange that I've figured this out. I would be a poor investigator otherwise."

Buffy nodded. "I'd have to agree. So, will you join then?"

"No."

Buffy and Remus blinked, again. "No?" Remus repeated, slightly incredulously, but more surprised than anything.

"No. I can't, I'm sorry. I truly am."

Buffy sighed, pulling her wand. "Well, I will have to obliviate you. It can't be helped."

"No," Alyssa said, standing up, pulling her own wand. "That is out of the question, I won't let anyone mess with my brain. It's too much of a valuable asset to me."

"You're leaving us no choice," Remus said, standing up and pulling his own wand as well. His voice held a frustrated note. "What we just told you...we can't risk it being spread around."

"But isn't that what you want?" Alyssa said challengingly. "You are obviously frustrated that the Ministry refuses to listen. Why don't you do anything about it?"

Remus and Buffy hesitated.

"Look," Alyssa said, sighing. "I want to bring an end to You-Know-Who as much as anybody, don't misunderstand me. But I can't do that in your Order. I've got my own connections, my own clients. If I joined the Order, I would no longer be independent - I wouldn't be able to do my job. Some of my clients are less...respectable, and a lot of my contacts as well. If it got out that I joined the Order of the Phoenix - and it would - most of them would drop me in a heartbeat. I can't be a 'white-hat', it doesn't work for me. I'm a...shade of grey."

"What do you mean?" Buffy said, frowning.

"I don't take sides," Alyssa shrugged. "That's that. If a Death Eater hired me, I'd accept, depending on what he wanted of course. Same rules for an Auror, a Ministry worker, a homeless person, a father, a muggle...I don't care, as long as the ethic and moral rules I've set for myself aren't breached. I've worked hard to be where I am today. I'm not going to risk losing that status."

"I...see," Remus said slowly.

"I've got a suggestion," Alyssa said. "I'll give you an unbreakable vow that I won't willingly repeat what has been said here today to anybody, in any way. Even if I don't see it necessary, considering Voldemort probably knows more than what you just said already, through Pettigrew and other spies of his. Also, if Dumbledore or the Order want to hire me to find out information, they're welcome to do that. I might even do it for free, if I got some help in return every now and then, but I won't officially join the Order. I really don't think that's too much to ask for. It benefits all of us, without binding me to the Order in any way. Frankly, I think Dumbledore is a bit manipulating. Brilliant, but manipulating."

Remus and Buffy said nothing, knowing Alyssa had a point. They'd experienced Dumbledore manipulating them into making decisions they didn't really want to make in the past.

"Fine," Buffy said. "We won't obliviate you. But we'll have to consult with Dumbledore and the rest of the Order before we can accept your terms."

Alyssa nodded. "I can live with that. Just don't curse me when my back is turned or something," she added, only half joking.

"We wouldn't do that," Remus said gravely. "Having an Obliviate put on you is not fun."

"And believe me, he knows what he's talking about," Buffy said, putting an arm around Remus. Alyssa grinned.

"Well, let me know what you've decided, but don't take too long. And if there's any way I can meet Sirius - I'd be really grateful. To see the man that's been an unsolved puzzle up until now...well, it would be like a dream come true."

"We'll see what we can do," Remus promised.

* * *

"He was WHAT?" Buffy and Sirius exclaimed as Dumbledore sighed. Buffy and Remus had just returned from their meeting with Alyssa, and were about to tell Dumbledore what she'd said, but now, things of greater importance seemed to have come up. 

"Harry was attacked by Dementors," he repeated. "And is now facing possible expulsion from Hogwarts for conjuring a Patronus."

"They can't do that," Remus said quickly. "It was in self defense."

"But no one can prove it," Dumbledore said, raising an eyebrow. "No one saw the Dementors, and the Ministry will not admit they're out of their control, now, will they?"

"But you said his cousin was there, right?" Buffy demanded. "He must have seen them..."

Remus, Sirius and Dumbledore were shaking their heads. "He's as muggle as they come," Sirius said. "There's no way he saw anything. Felt, but that's it."

"What about Dung?" Buffy said. "He was supposed to be watching Harry. Where was he?"

Dumbledore's eyes darkened. "Believe me, I will have a serious word with Mundungus about duties and priorities."

"The damage has already been done," Sirius spat. "What can we do?"

"I will talk to Arabella - she lives nearby, as you know - perhaps she saw something."

Remus was frowning. "Can Squibs even see Dementors?"

"It has never been proven, either way," Dumbledore said. "Let's hope so, for Harry's sake. Anyway, it is of outmost importance we get him away from Privet Drive. But I still have things to deal with, and I do not want you to go alone, Buffy, Remus. I will not risk sending only two people in to retrieve him. I don't doubt your power, but it is better to be safe than sorry. It will not be possible to get the man power needed for that until August 6, at the earliest. Everyone has been sent out on assignments."

"I can go - " Sirius said, only to be interrupted by Remus, Buffy and Dumbledore.

"NO!"

Sirius pouted. "It was just a suggestion," he muttered.

* * *

On August 6, after Tonks had called the Dursleys and pretended to be from All-England Best-Kept Suburban Lawn Competition, a group - including Buffy and Remus - all traveled to Privet Drive on broomsticks to sweep him away to Grimmauld place. 

They were both relieved, after four days of anxious waiting, during which Dumbledore gathered the man-power needed, and concluded his own 'business', whatever that was.

Buffy, Remus and Sirius had all been of the agreement that only Remus and Buffy would have been enough to bring Harry back safely, and that this large a group would only bring more attention, though Dumbledore had been of another opinion.

And in his uncomfortable bed in the smallest bedroom, Harry Potter lay, miserable, thinking no one cared.

* * *

**A/N: **And with that, we end Come What May! The next part, which also is part 5, is called "Way of the Warriors." I will not post it, however, until after book 7 is out, for many reasons. You won't have to wait too long afterwards though - mark down July 31 in your calendars - the magical date where I plan to have the first chapter of WotW posted! 

So what will I/you do in the meantime?

Well...I am right now rewriting Out of the Blue - I haven't posted any of the new chapters yet - because it will be (almost) _nothing_ like the old OOTB, so mixing the old/new chaps together wouldn't work, until I've gotten further than where I am at the moment (chap 4). It will be a lot more serious (it already is), more realistic and more. After OOTB I plan on changing Red Horizon as well as Never the Same, and probably Come What May too. The story will be the same though, so you can still jump directly to Way of the Warriors with no problems afterwards, but the writing in the old parts will be a lot more improved, with more details, less dialogue etc. And a lot less silly chaps, because sometimes I feel as I could post this entire story in the humour genre, which is not what I want. So, yeah.

Also, a website completely dedicated to the series is now up - I have been doing lots of artwork lately - and the rewritten chapters can be found there, too - so I hope you'll visit! Link can be found on my profile page!

So, if you're completely starved of the Out of the Blue series, and can't wait, there will be things that will be posted before WotW. And, you can always send me a note/review to feed me. LOL. And, I hope now I will finally have the chance to finish the Return of the Saviour, and get the posting running again. I really feel bad about having ignored it for so long...

And, a repeat of my note in the last chap: I'd like those who don't have me on author alert (i.e. anonymous reviewers and those who only have me on story alert (and are to lazy to switch to an author alert). lol. ;D) to send me an e-mail (my adress can be found on my profile-page) so I can mail you when that part is up. If, you haven't done so already, of course! ;)

I hope you all hang in there, and wait for me! Lots of love,  
/Ida

* * *


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